List of active separatist movements in Europe

Supporters of Catalan independence in Barcelona in October 2019
Scottish independence supporters in Glasgow. Scotland held an independence referendum on 18 September 2014

This is a list of currently active separatist movements in Europe. Separatism often refers to full political secession,[1][2][3] though separatist movements may seek nothing more than greater autonomy or to be recognised as a national minority.[4]

Criteria

[edit]

What is and is not considered an autonomist or secessionist movement is sometimes contentious. Entries on this list must meet three criteria:

  1. They are active movements with active members.
  2. They are seeking greater autonomy or self-determination for a geographic region (as opposed to personal autonomy).
  3. They are citizens/people of the conflict area and do not come from another country.

Under each region listed is one or more of the following:

Various ethnic groups in Europe are seeking greater autonomy or independence. In the European Union (EU), several of these groups are members of the European Free Alliance (EFA). In some cases, the group seeks to unify into a different state – in cases where this does not involve the creation of a new state entity, this is considered to be irredentism. Analogous irredentist movements are included in the list of active irredentist movements.

Albania

[edit]

In 2024, Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, announced plans to create an independent European microstate enclaved within Tirana to serve as a headquarters for the Bektashi Order with Baba Mondi as the head of state. The state, called the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order, would require approval from the Parliament of Albania and an amendment to the Constitution of Albania to declare independence.[5]

Azerbaijan

[edit]
Azerbaijan districts claimed by Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic

Territory of the short-lived Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic

Belgium

[edit]
Communities:
  Flemish and French Community
Autonomist movements

 Flanders

 Wallonia

Secessionist movements

 Flanders or Flemish Community (the latter includes  Brussels-Capital Region)

 Wallonia or French Community of Belgium (the latter includes  Brussels-Capital Region)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

[edit]
Secessionist movements

 Republika Srpska

Autonomist movements

Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia

Croatia

[edit]
The Istria County in Croatia.
Autonomist movements

Istria County[21]

Cyprus

[edit]
The northern areas of the island of Cyprus administered by Turkish Cypriots

The northeastern 1/3 territory of island of Cyprus

Czechia

[edit]

 Moravia

Denmark

[edit]
Faroe Islands

 Faroe Islands

Minor Movements

Bornholm

Finland

[edit]
Åland

 Åland

France

[edit]
Secessionist movements
Location of the Basque Country

French Basque Country/ Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Location of Brittany

Historic Brittany, comprising Brittany (administrative region) and  Loire-Atlantique

Location of Corsica

 Corsica

The Dutch-language Taalgebied (Sprachraum), including northern French Flanders

French Flanders

Location of Provence

 Provence

Catalonia Northern Catalonia/Pyrénées-Orientales

Savoy

Etat Pied-Noir

Location of Limousin

 Limousin[57][58]

Autonomist movements
Location of Normandy

 Alsace

Normandy

Savoy

 Occitania

Location of Franché-Comte

Franche Comté

 Alpes-Maritimes[73]

 Picardy

Georgia

[edit]
Georgian administrative divisions are outlined in black. Occupied territories of Georgia are shown in pink.

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

Territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast

Javakheti

Germany

[edit]

Bavaria

 Saxony

Lusatia

 Lusatia

 East Frisia

 Franconia

Hungary

[edit]

Romani

Italy

[edit]

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Lombardy

Lombardy

Proposed nation of Padania, light blue includes the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Marche

Northern Italy

Southern Italy

Southern Italy

Sicily

 Sicily

South Tyrol

 South Tyrol

 Savoy

Tuscany

 Tuscany

Veneto

 Veneto

Free Territory of Trieste, which legally ceased to exist in 1977 after the Treaty of Osimo

 Trieste

Aosta Valley

 Aosta Valley

Sardinia

 Sardinia

Romagna (shown in green) in the Emilia-Romagna region

Romagna

Lithuania

[edit]

Samogitia

Malta

[edit]

Gozo

Moldova

[edit]
Transnistria
Breakaway state

 Transnistria

 Gagauzia

Montenegro

[edit]

Sandzak

Netherlands

[edit]
Location of Friesland

Frisia

Poland

[edit]
(With striped Czech Silesia)

Silesia

Kashubia and Pomerania

Masuria

Greater Poland

Portugal

[edit]

 Azores[164]

Romania

[edit]

Transylvania and Banat[166]

Location of Transylvania (left) and Banat (right)

Székely Land

The historical Székely seats on the map of present-day Romania

Partium

Russia

[edit]

Secessionist movements:
Adygea[184]

Arkhangelsk Oblast[185]

  • People: Pomors
    • Proposed state: Pomorie, Bjarmia
      • Advocacy group: Pomoṙska Slobóda[186]

Bashkortostan

 Chechnya

Dagestan

Ingushetia

Kaliningrad Oblast[192]

Republic of Kalmykia

 Republic of Karelia[195]

Krasnodar Krai[185]

Leningrad Oblast[198]

Mari El[201][202]

Mordovia[202]

North Caucasian Federal District

Tatarstan[198]

Rostov Oblast

Udmurtia[202]

Volga Federal District

Russian-occupied Ukraine

[edit]

 Republic of Crimea and  Sevastopol

 Donetsk People's Republic,  Luhansk People's Republic (Annexed by Russia in 2022)

Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast,[211][212][213]

Serbia

[edit]
Kosovo (marked in red)
Province of Vojvodina (marked in red)
Secessionist movements

 Kosovo

Autonomist movements

Vojvodina Vojvodina

Vojvodina Vojvodina

Sandžak

Preševo Valley

Slovakia

[edit]
Linguistic makeup of Slovakia, according to Census 2011
Autonomist movements

Southern Slovakia:

  • People: Hungarians
    • Proposed autonomous area: Territorial autonomy for the compact Hungarian ethnic block and cultural autonomy for the regions of Hungarian presence,[223] or unification with  Hungary

Spain

[edit]
Regions in Spain with autonomist or separatist movements
proposed extent of the Catalan country
Secessionist movements

Basque Country (autonomous community) Basque Country (autonomous community) and  Navarre

 Catalonia[226]

Galicia (Spain) Galicia[227]

Valencian Community Valencia

 Aragon[230]

 Balearic Islands[231]

 Andalusia[232]

 Asturias[233]

Autonomist movements

Cartagena

León

Province of Granada[235]

Sweden

[edit]
Scania

Scania

Switzerland

[edit]
The seven Jura districts in Switzerland
The French-speaking part of Switzerland is shown in green on this map
Autonomist movements

Jura region

Ukraine

[edit]
Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
Share of ethnic Russians in Ukraine

 Autonomous Republic of Crimea and  Sevastopol

 Donetsk Oblast,  Luhansk Oblast

Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast[239]

Carpathian Ruthenia[241][242][243][244]

United Kingdom

[edit]
Countries of the United Kingdom
Map of current local administrative units in the United Kingdom
Cornwall
Northern England
North East England
Yorkshire
The Kingdom of the Isles about the year 1100
Isle of Man
Major movements

 England

Northern Ireland

 Scotland

 Wales

Minor movements

 Cornwall[271]

Northern England

Midlands

London

Fife

Autonomist movements

Canvey Island

Cynon Valley[dubiousdiscuss]

Gwynedd

 Isle of Wight

 Shetland

 Yorkshire

North East England

  • People: People of North East England

 Wessex

 Orkney Islands

Separatist movements of dependent territories

 Gibraltar

 Isle of Man[308]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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