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State Integration vs. Minority Protection through Regional Self-Determination: The Åland Case


In this contribution, Åland’s autonomy as a model for the protection of territorial minorities is analysed and evaluated. The geopolitical background is today’s Europe with, in general, quite strong state integration tendencies. The focus is on Åland’s autonomy’s ability to successfully deliver on the original promises regarding the greatest possible regional self-determination and language protection given at its inception in 1921 by the League of Nations and the Finnish state. Comparisons are made with similar European and Nordic autonomies. The conclusion is that Åland’s position in international law and in the Finnish Constitution remains, thanks primary to its historical origin, relatively strong. However, two negative factors are identified: the severely limited de facto home rule, and the asymmetric partnership between the autonomy and the state. The contribution concludes with a number of lessons learned regarding the legal and political conditions for well-functioning and long-term sustainable autonomies within the framework of today’s sovereign European and Nordic states.