Trends and Prospects of Autonomy and Federalism as Devices for Balancing Self-Determination and State Sovereignty

There is an increasing number of autonomy arrangements and federations in the world, and this means that there is an increasing number of instances of distribution of legislative powers between the centre and the sub-state entity. This does not mean that the state as a sovereign entity is being dismantled, because international law still protects the sovereignty of the state, in part also on the basis of the right to self-determination: there is no right to secession except perhaps under very particular circumstances. Because this continues to be the case, states should be able to adopt a relaxed attitude towards the grant of autonomy or creation of federalism. Particularly for autonomy arrangements, it should even be possible to consider allowing autonomous entities to participate in suitable ways in the exercise of foreign powers of the state, but obviously within the constraints of international law and within the material area of the powers of the sub-state entity. The representation of the population of a sub-state entity at an international level is entirely possible and increasingly practiced.