What The Scottish Independence
Referendum Means To Europeans

[…]

In any case, we should follow and sympathize with what is taking place in Scotland, because it concerns us all. Getting the government you have voted for, finding new ways to exert self-determination in the face of increasing depletion of democracy, rethinking the concept of community by recognizing the internal pluralities and resisting the reduction of citizens to mere economic agents, making our social model fairer, more inclusive and universal, reconsidering the sense and purpose of military defence today, and renegotiating the existing institutional arrangements, if necessary, to make them more democratic– all this is not a matter for the Scots only, but has a bearing, to a greater or lesser extent, on all our societies. In particular it constitutes the crux of questions that have to be dealt with at the European level if we are to relaunch the European federalist project on a sounder basis and give democracy in Europe a new lease of life. It would greatly benefit both the Scottish people and other Europeans if they could engage in a constructive, meaningful dialogue on such issues. Sovereignty (and its limits), self-determination, democracy, community, social justice – you can hardly escape from dealing with all that. Whether you want to (re)build an independent nation or build a European federation.

Francesca Lacaita, Italian Government Lector at the University of St Andrews, on Social Europe Journal

See also: 01 02 03 || 01