Between Asymmetry and Secession
Territory and constitutional order lie at the heart of some of the most pressing challenges facing Europe today. Shaped by historical legacies, diverse identities and the ongoing process of European integration, territorial governance continues to test the resilience of constitutional systems.
This volume explores these dynamics through a comparative constitutional perspective, combining theoretical insights with a rich set of case studies. It originates from the Sapienza University Research Project “Territory, Borders and Institutions: Between Secession and Centrifugal Dynamics”, initiated by Professor Beniamino Caravita, whose vision has inspired the research underlying this work.
At its core, the book examines the tension between territorial asymmetries and secession. Mechanisms such as regionalism, differentiated autonomy and federalism can accommodate diversity within a single constitutional framework, as seen in countries like Spain, Italy and Belgium. Yet these same arrangements may also generate political tensions and perceptions of inequality. Secessionist movements represent a more radical challenge, raising fundamental questions about the balance between self-determination and territorial integrity, as illustrated by developments in Scotland, Catalonia and Flanders.
Bringing together theoretical analysis and comparative case studies from across Europe, the volume highlights how territorial claims shape constitutional change at both national and supranational levels.
A timely and insightful contribution, this book offers essential perspectives for understanding the evolving landscape of territorial governance in Europe. This is an open access book.
Giulia Caravale is Full Professor of Comparative Public Law in the Department of Political Science at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches Comparative Public Law and Anglo-American Public Law.
Since November 2024, she has served as Coordinator of the PhD Programme in Public, Comparative and International Law. From 2020 to 2023, she served as Director of the Advanced Professional Course in Parliamentary Institutions "Mario Galizia" for Assembly Consultants.
Her research focuses on the constitutional systems of the United Kingdom and the United States, with particular emphasis on forms of government, devolution, and the relationship between Congress and the President. She is the author of six monographs and approximately 180 journal articles and book chapters.
She has participated in numerous national and international research projects and is currently the Principal Investigator of the research project Re-examining accountability and control tools of early and involuntary removal of public office holders.
Federico Savastano is Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law at the Department of Political Science of Sapienza University of Rome, where he teaches Constitutional Law and European Constitutional Law. His research primarily focuses on the constitutional dynamics of European integration, on which he has published two scientific monographs, and extends to topics such as systems of government, territorial autonomy, rights, and gender equality. He has participated in several national and international research projects on issues related to autonomy and European integration and leads a Jean Monnet Module on gender equality (European Union for Gender Equality). Author of two monographs and more than thirty scholarly contributions, he is editor-in-chief of federalismi.it - Journal of Italian, Comparative, and European Public Law, with which he has been collaborating since 2011.
Laura Frosina is Associate Professor of Comparative Public Law in the Department of Political Science at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches Comparative Public Law and States, Autonomies and Secessionist Movements.
Her research focuses on Spanish constitutional law, federalism, regionalism, and secessionist movements from a comparative perspective, as well as on European integration and constitutionalism, cities, urban governance, and smart cities.
She is the author of three monographs, co-editor of two edited volumes, and has published more than 100 articles and book chapters in legal journals and scholarly publications.
She has participated in numerous national and international research projects on territorial autonomies and European integration and has served as Principal Investigator of the research project Cities and Governance Models in the Twenty-First Century (SED-PNR 2021).
She is a member of several academic associations and serves on the editorial boards of leading legal journals.