ПОЛИТИЧКО-ТЕРИТОРИЈАЛНА АУТОНОМИЈА У ЕВРОПИ
POLITICO-TERRITORIAL AUTONOMY IN EUROPE

Summary/Abstract: European countries in which teritorial autonomy exists can be classified in several groups. The first would consist of the ones in which this form of territorial decentralization, practically ceased to exist, either because it was surpassed by higher forms (the federalism in Czechoslovakia), or because of attempts to terminate or suspend -them, inaugurating strong unitary order (Romania) to which territorial autonomy presented a threat (North Ireland in the United Kingdom). Today (except in the case of North Ireland), these forms of territorial autonomy are only of comparative interest. The second group consists of countries in which territorial autonomy does not carry political significance and where they are established as so-called limitrof areas (as is the case of the autonomy in Finland, Portugal and Denmark). The third consists of only two countries, Spain and Belgium, in which territorial autonomy primarily represents the complexity of national societies, as well as a form of anticipated federal establishment. Finally, the fourth group consists of two countries in which territorial autonomy represents a prototype of this form of territorial decentralization in the present dominating social systems (socialist and capitalist) — the Soviet Union and Italy. On the basis of these parallel non-comparative analysis of European systems of territorial autonomy, the author comes to ten comparative synthetical conclusions regarding the forms of decentralization. Even though territorial autonomy is regarded as a compromise form of state order, the author is of the opinion that in states of pluralist nature and heterogen social composition it represents a specific "security system” through which tensions and conflicts resulting from ignoring social (ethno-linguistic, cultural, economic, historical etc.)differences in a unitary state, are calmed

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