Unitary and Federal Models of Statebuilding in Europe and their Interaction

Abstract

Panel 1, to be organized by a former protégé of Rokkan’s, Gerhard Lehmbruch, focuses on a topic that featured prominently in the former’s “conceptual map of Europe,” namely divergent patterns of centralization and federalism across the continent. Taking up themes explored by Lehmbruch in many writings on Germany, it seeks to identify the branching points that led to either unitary or federal patterns of centralization and to illuminate the co-existence of both federalist and centralist elements in many states such as Germany. In his contribution, Gerhard Lehmbruch will compare the trajectory of federalism in the intertwined German and Austrian cases, while Daniel Ziblatt will ask why German unification resulted in a federal state whereas Italian unification did not. Finally, Frans van Waarden will examine the transformation of the Netherlands from one of Europe’s most federal to one of its most centralized states; and a participant still to be determined will look at the contrasting case of Spain, where a similar passage from federalism to centralization never fully succeeded, ultimately giving way to the semi-federal state of today.

Title	Details
The Development of Federalism in Germany and Austria: A Comparison	View Paper Details
Why did Italian Unification Not Lead to a Federal State as in Germany?	View Paper Details
The Transition from a Federal to a Unitary State in the Netherlands	View Paper Details