Multinational Federalism In Bosnia And Herzegovina

In 1995 none of the political parties representing the peoples of Bosnia preferred a federal option. Yet, Bosnia became a federal state, highly decentralised and with a complex institutional architecture. This solution was imposed on them by international actors as a result of peace negotiations following the Yugoslav wars. Political parties in post-war Bosnia were not willing to identify with or accept the federation. The international community intervened taking over key decisions and so Bosnia and Herzegovina became the first state to experience a new model of federalism, namely ’imposed federalism’ and a new model of a federal state, that of the ’internationally administered federation’. By combining comparative politics, conflict analysis and international relations theory Soeren Keil offers a unique analysis of federalism in post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina. By exploring this model of ’imposed federalism’ not only does this study greatly contribute to the literature on developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina it also re-evaluates comparative federalism in theory and practice. This study also offers important conclusions for similar cases, both in the Western Balkans region and the wider world, where international involvement and federalism as a method of conflict resolution in diverse societies becomes ever more prevalent and important.

This edited volume examines the link between constitutional asymmetry and multinationalism in multi-tiered systems through a comprehensive and rigorous comparative analysis, covering countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Constitutional asymmetry means that the component units of a federation do not have equal relationships with each other and with the federal authority. In traditional federal theories, this is considered an anomaly. The degree of symmetry and asymmetry is seen as an indicator of the degree of harmony or conflict within each system. Therefore symmetrisation processes tend to be encouraged to secure the stability of the political system. However, scholars have linked asymmetry with multinational federalism, presenting federalism and asymmetry as forms of ethnical conflict management. This book offers insights into the different types of constitutional asymmetry, the factors that stimulate symmetrisation and asymmetrisation processes, and the ways in which constitutional asymmetry is linked with multinationalism.

Based on a variety of contemporary debates on federal theory Understanding Federalism and Federation honours Michael Burgess’ contribution to the study of these topics through a selection of approaches, theories, debates and interpretations. Gathering contributors from diverse subfields to synthesize current debates it offers a snapshot of the immense range of current research on federalism and federation. Different theoretical and empirical fields and perspectives are brought together, synthesizing major findings and addressing emerging issues and these topics are analysed through multiple lenses to provide new insights, original approaches and much-needed theoretical and empirical data on federalism and federation.

January 1997A description of Bosnia's current arrangements in fiscal federalism and the challenges proposed by the Dayton system - as well as general lessons for the design of fiscal federal systems in ethnically diverse economies.The challenge of fiscal federalism in Bosnia is perhaps unique in the world. The Dayton talks held in October 1995, immediately after a cease-fire, assumed a totally blank slate: How would the new nation that emerged as a result of the peace talks be structured, fiscally? How would be the roles of the central state and of the two subnational units (the entities) that constituted it? How would the three previously warring communities of Croats, Bosniacs, and Serbs work together to form a central government, what would the entity governments look like, and what would their fiscal functions and rights be? How would the entities, in turn, be structured internally, and what would be their fiscal governance?These questions were open in October 1995, when the international community worked with experts and political leaders to forge for Bosnia a new constitution and the new fiscal system that would be laid out in it.Fox and Wallich describe Bosnia's current arrangements in fiscal federalism, outline the unique challenges that the Dayton system proposed, and draw lessons for the design of fiscal federal systems in ethnically diverse economies.This paper - a product of Europe and Central Asia, Central Europe Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to analyze fiscal federalism issues in transition economies.

January 1997 A description of Bosnia's current arrangements in fiscal federalism and the challenges proposed by the Dayton system - as well as general lessons for the design of fiscal federal systems in ethnically diverse economies. The challenge of fiscal federalism in Bosnia is perhaps unique in the world. The Dayton talks held in October 1995, immediately after a cease-fire, assumed a totally blank slate: How would the new nation that emerged as a result of the peace talks be structured, fiscally? How would be the roles of the central state and of the two subnational units (the entities) that constituted it? How would the three previously warring communities of Croats, Bosniacs, and Serbs work together to form a central government, what would the entity governments look like, and what would their fiscal functions and rights be? How would the entities, in turn, be structured internally, and what would be their fiscal governance? These questions were open in October 1995, when the international community worked with experts and political leaders to forge for Bosnia a new constitution and the new fiscal system that would be laid out in it. Fox and Wallich describe Bosnia's current arrangements in fiscal federalism, outline the unique challenges that the Dayton system proposed, and draw lessons for the design of fiscal federal systems in ethnically diverse economies. This paper - a product of Europe and Central Asia, Central Europe Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to analyze fiscal federalism issues in transition economies.

This book examines different approaches by which states characterised by federal or decentralized arrangements reconcile equality and autonomy. In case studies from four continents, leading experts analyse the challenges of ensuring institutional, social and economic equality whilst respecting the competences of regions and the rights of groups.

Constitutional politics is exceptionally intense and unpredictable. It involves negotiations over the very nature of the state and the implications of self- determination. Multinational democracies face pressing challenges to the existing order because they are composed of communities with distinct cultures, histories, and aspirations, striving to coexist under mutually agreed-upon terms. Conflict over the recognition of these multiple identities and the distribution of power and resources is inevitable and, indeed, part of what defines democratic life in multinational societies. In Constitutional Politics in Multinational Democracies André Lecours, Nikola Brassard-Dion, and Guy Laforest bring together experts on multinational democracies to analyze the claims of minority nations about their political future and the responses they elicit through constitutional politics. Essays focus on the nature of these states and the actors and political process within them. This framework allows for a multidimensional examination of crucial political periods in these democracies by assessing what constitutional politics is, who is involved in it, and how it happens. Case studies include Catalonia and Spain, Puerto Rico and the United States, Scotland and the United Kingdom, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Quebec and the Métis People in Canada. Theoretically significant and empirically rich, Constitutional Politics in Multinational Democracies is a necessary read for any student of multinationalism.

The principal aim of this book is to revisit the basic theme of “unity and diversity” that remains at the heart of research into federalism and federation. It is time to take another look at its contemporary relevance to ascertain how far the bifocal relationship between unity and diversity has evolved over the years and has been translated into changing conceptual lenses, practical reform proposals and in some cases new institutional practices.