Constitutionalism and the Politics of Accommodation in Multinational Democracies

'Very few rights are absolute, and ""accommodation"" of conflicting rights and interests is the hallmark of any successful system of governance. Accommodation in response to competing identities is particularly necessary to address many of the tensions in modern states, whether we refer to the relevant principles as minority rights, promotion of diversity, multiculturalism, or devolution of power. This volume offers practical as well as theoretical guidance drawn from a number of important case studies, and it is a welcome contribution to the debate over what democracy really means'. Hurst Hannum, Professor of International Law, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA 'This book offers a very good up-to-date analysis of some of the key issues and empirical cases related to the recognition and political accommodation of national minorities in multinational democracies. In recent years, this subject has undergone a change that point to the revision of theories of democracy and federalism in multinational polities as well as in multi-level systems of governance and secessionist processes. Political science and constitutional law are the two balanced approaches presented in the essays in this volume. It is certain to become an academic reference for any reader interested in minority nations and their political and constitutional accommodation in nationally divided societies'. Ferran Requejo, Professor of Political Science at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain