Unilateral Secession

Abstract

This chapter develops a constitutional theory on unilateral secession based on the awakening of a new constituent people for cases where there is no constitutional option to secede. Given the revolutionary nature of unilateral secession, in liberal-democratic contexts only after a long path seeking negotiated and constitutional ways will unilateral democratic routes, backed up by extensive, intense and sustained popular mobilization, be able legitimately to overcome the constitutional barriers and raise the seceding nation as a constituent people. In these contexts, unilateral secession is and must be a difficult target.