Federalism and Decentralisation in Eastern Europe: Between Transition and Secession

Although fully aware of the gravity of violent ethnic wars and challenges that multiethnic societies pose for any democratic polity, both authors endorse multicultural democracy. Jovanovic argues against territorial accommodation of ethnic demands and in favour of community-based minority rights policy. Samardzic understands territorial decentralisation as an indispensable guarantee for a fully-fledged protection of minority ethnic groups. Despite this major conceptual difference, they put forward democratic legitimacy as a fundamental condition for peaceful multiethnic societies.