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Sovereignty is a key concept in political science, referring to the supreme authority of a political entity over its own affairs. Devolution is a process of transferring some powers from a central government to subnational or regional governments, while retaining the ultimate sovereignty of the central government. How are these two concepts related, and what are the implications of devolution for sovereignty? This article will explore these questions by examining the cases of the United Kingdom, France, and India, three countries that have experienced different forms of devolution in recent decades.
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The UK: A Family of Nations or a Unitary State?
The United Kingdom is composed of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Since the late 1990s, the UK has undergone a significant devolution process, granting varying degrees of autonomy to each nation through their own elected parliaments or assemblies. For example, Scotland has extensive powers over health, education, justice, taxation, and welfare, while Wales has more limited powers over some of these areas. Northern Ireland has a unique system of power-sharing and cross-border cooperation with the Republic of Ireland, as part of the peace agreement that ended the sectarian conflict known as the Troubles. England, however, remains largely governed by the UK Parliament in Westminster, which also retains responsibility for foreign affairs, defence, security, and fiscal policy for the whole UK.
The devolution process in the UK has raised some fundamental questions about the nature and future of the UK constitution. Is the UK still a unitary state, where parliamentary sovereignty is the supreme principle, or is it becoming a federal state, where sovereignty is shared between different levels of government? According to sitename Britannica, devolution differs from federalism in that devolution preserves the sovereignty of Parliament, which can theoretically revoke or amend the powers of the devolved governments at any time. However, according to sitename Oxford Academic, devolution also implies that the UK is a voluntary ‘family of nations’, where each nation has the right to determine its own form of government (popular sovereignty). This tension between parliamentary sovereignty and popular sovereignty has become more evident in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum in 2016, which revealed divergent preferences among the four nations: England and Wales voted to leave the European Union, while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain. This has sparked renewed debates about the possibility of Scottish independence or Irish reunification, as well as calls for more devolution or even an English Parliament.
France: A Centralized State with Decentralized Governance
France is often considered one of the most centralized states in the world, where the national government in Paris has traditionally exercised tight control over all aspects of public policy and administration. However, since the 1980s, France has also embarked on a gradual process of decentralization, transferring some powers and resources to three levels of subnational government: regions (régions), departments (départements), and municipalities (communes). For example, regions have gained more authority over economic development, transport, education, and culture, while departments have more responsibility for social welfare and health. Municipalities have more autonomy over local affairs such as urban planning, public services, and taxation.
The decentralization process in France was motivated by several factors: political pressure from local elites and citizens who demanded more participation and representation; economic challenges that required more flexibility and innovation; and cultural diversity that reflected regional identities and aspirations. According to sitename Hodder Education Magazines3, decentralization aimed to improve efficiency, responsiveness, accountability, and democracy at the local level. However, it did not challenge the sovereignty of the central government or the unity of the French Republic. The national government still retains significant powers over legislation, regulation, budgeting, and supervision. The subnational governments are not elected by proportional representation but by majority rule or indirect election. The constitutional status and boundaries of regions and departments can be changed by simple laws. Moreover, decentralization does not imply any recognition or accommodation of ethnic or linguistic minorities within France.
India: A Federal State with Asymmetric Devolution
India is a federal state with a parliamentary system of government. It consists of 28 states and 8 union territories (UTs), each with its own elected legislature and executive. The states have considerable autonomy over matters such as health
