European Citizenship and the Regions

Abstract

This article reconsiders the relationship between European citizenship and the regions in the light of theoretical developments in citizenship studies and empirical research in four sub-nation-state territories in Europe (Scotland in the UK, Catalonia in Spain, the Veneto in Italy and Upper Silesia in Poland).The article begins with an outline of the development of the idea of European citizenship and a review of some contemporary theoretical debates about the spatialities of citizenship. It then considers how European citizenship might be theorized in geographical terms, before turning specifically to the relationship between European citizenship and regionality. Drawing on the case-study research, this relationship is examined through four themes: identity, political rights, social rights and civic engagement. The article concludes with a commentary on the implications of a regional perspective for the future development of European citizenship.