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Central secession: towards a new analytical concept? The case of former Yugoslavia.
- Source :
- Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies; Apr2000, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p333-355, 23p
- Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- Political literature customarily defines secession as a movement developing in the periphery against the centre. This article questions this common assumption by raising the possibility that secession may be propelled by the centre. A working definition of ‘central secession' (or ‘secessionism by the centre') will be limited to those cases where a powerful nationalist movement operates from within the core or dominant nation(ality). The focus will be on the break-up of Yugoslavia – the disintegration of which was consistently and widely perceived as a conflict of secessionist republics opposed by, and confronted with, a unitary state. A brief geo-political excursus of recent secessionist movements will serve to highlight the singularity of the Yugoslav ‘model'. In the case of Serbia, the rhetoric was adamantly unitarian, anti-secessionist, even anti-nationalist. It emphasised the defence of territorial integrity at all costs. In this way, the centre could cast itself as the spotless saviour of the country's integrity versus a ‘treacherous' periphery. In fact, the hidden agenda of the regime was ethnic separation – of Serbs from non-Serbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- SECESSION
YUGOSLAVIAN politics & government
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1369183X
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 3958508
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13691830050022839