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46_Gennadii Korolov.pdf
Research report

Federalism’s Illusion : Conceptual Insights into East Central Europe, 1831–1926

BFD

  • Fribourg : IFF, 2025
Federalism
East Central Europe
History
Ideology
Instrumentalization
Realpolitik
English This paper explores the ideological use and limited implementation of federalism in East Central Europe from 1831 to 1926, a region shaped by diverse national identities and the dominance of imperial powers. Federalism, widely promoted as a potential solution for unifying multiethnic societies under a shared political framework, primarily served as a rhetorical device rather than a practical model for governance. National movements and emerging states leveraged federalist ideas as tools to legitimize territorial claims, secure political authority, and establish cultural autonomy from imperial structures. However, the paper argues that national leaders consistently subordinated federalist principles to the pragmatic demands of nation-building, which prioritized ethnic and linguistic homogeneity. Despite federalism’s appeal as an inclusive model, its adaptation in East Central Europe was constrained by nationalist agendas, anti-imperial sentiments, and the instrumentalization of ideology for geopolitical maneuvering. This study highlights how federalist discourse in East Central Europe evolved from a utopian concept into an element of Realpolitik,illuminating broader tensions between ideology and practical governance in the region's history.
Collections
Faculty
Faculté de droit
Department
Institut du Fédéralisme
Language
  • English
Classification
Law, jurisprudence
Series statement
  • IFF Working Paper Online ; 46
License
CC BY
Open access status
diamond
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/331551
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