From the idea of sovereignty to the fragmentation of power. A view from the (Western) Europe

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contextualize the today’s crisis
of the nation state in Europe, subjected to the centrifugal tensions related
to supranational integration. It is part of being of the unitary state centered
on the monistic idea of sovereignty and the creation of a homogeneous
political community. Based on this, we present the alternative models that
are generated in Europe to face the inadequacy of the unitary state, namely,
the federal model and the regional state. We end with an analysis of the current
situation paying attention to secessionist movements which have been
recently developed, as well as the limitations of the nation state in a globalized world. What follows the latter is a model that combines pluralism and
integration in response to the current challenges of governance.