Abstract
The recent experience of the former Yugoslavia provides an important test case for appraising theories of secession. This article begins with an outline of the main candidate justifications for a right to secession; withdrawal of consent; remedial right only; national self-determination and hybrids of these arguments. The article then provides a survey of the experience of the various secessions in the former Yugoslavia and draws attention to the particular problem of recursive secessions - that is counter secessions by minorities within the new 'republics'. The discussion of recursive secession provides an additional criterion for assessing the adequacy of candidate theories of justified secession.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 485-502 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Political Studies |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 2000 |