Focus Topics
As an interdisciplinary think tank, our work covers a number of areas in political and social science, history, law, and international relations.​
GOVERNANCE
IDENTITY
LANGUAGE
CULTURE
HISTORY
NATIONHOOD
SOVEREIGNTY
FOREIGN POLICY
POLITICS
Framework
The following provides an overview of how we conceptualise nations and regions at the subnational level.​ Our framework for European regions is structured around four key areas.
1 Regional Nations
Many countries in Europe are home to more than one nation. Countries such as Spain, the UK, and the Russian Federation are host to a number of smaller nations. As a result, these countries must work hard to preserve these regional nations, which usually involves granting them some degree of autonomy.
2 National Regions
Although most European countries consist of one “titular” nation, those nations nearly always consist of a number of regions, which have their own distinct cultural characteristics. Though national regions may be harder to distinguish than regional nations, they are also more at risk of losing their distinctiveness through assimilation.
3 Multinational Cities
Europe is home to many of the world's great cities. As concentrations of human diversity, multinational cities have their own unique challenges and are often governed differently from other regions. They are drivers of national economic growth, but may become detached from the rest of the country.
4 Islands
Islands differ from regional nations and national regions, with their natural borders defined by the sea. They range from sovereign states like Malta and Cyprus to parts of other countries. Some share the culture of their mainland, while others have unique languages and identities. However, islands often face challenges such as remoteness, economic struggles, and climate change.
