International activities of Scotland: Scottish nationalists’ positions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu06.2023.105Abstract
Scotland’s international activities are interesting in many respects. Firstly, the region has a long history of political struggle for independence, having formulated the concept of “Scotland is a country” by now. Secondly, starting with the preparations for the 2019 general election campaign, the Scottish National Party (SNP), as the political leader of the region, has launched a program of “internationalization of Scotland”, stating not only international ambitions, but also the use of international relations to strengthen the position of Scotland as independent nation in the international arena. Thirdly, Scotland seeks to demonstrate itself as a responsible player, offering its innovations in the field of strengthening partnership and peace, and proving that the whole world will benefit from an independent Scotland (it is no coincidence that SNP party documents often mention that “the Scots are conscientious citizens of the world”). Fourthly, the independence of Scotland is offered by the SNP as a tool for realizing the rights of citizens to participate personally in the international agenda. Thus, we note both the growing international ambitions of Scotland and their international recognition. In general, the Scottish model of paradiplomacy is the use of all possible international platforms and the creation of new ones to form a positive image of the region. The goal of the article: to analyze the strategy of international activity of Scotland and correlate it with the practical activity of the region. The study was carried out on the basis of a political-historical approach, which means an analysis of regional processes in any area in the context of national and macro-regional development (in this case, we understand the European Union as a macro-region). The research method within the framework of the chosen approach was the case study method. Accordingly, the article compared various indicators of regional involvement in international processes after Brexit in the longer period of Scotland’s entry into the international arena after 1998, i. e. implementation of the Scottish Act. This allows us to talk about the dynamics of the region’s international activity and its prospects.
Keywords:
Scotland, Scottish National Party, paradiplomacy, EU, United Kingdom, internationalization of Scotland, nationalism, Brexit
Downloads
References
Soldatos, P. (1990), An Explanatory Framework for the Study of Federated States as Foreign Policy Actors, in: Michelmann, H. and Soldatos, P. (eds), Federalism and International Relations: The Role of Subnational Units, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 34–53.
Duchacek, I. (1990), Perforated Sovereignties: Towards a Typology of New Actors in International Relations, in: Michelmann, H. and Soldatos, P. (eds), Federalism and International Relations: The Role of Subnational Units, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990, pp. 1–34.
Alvarez, M. (2020), The Rise of Paradiplomacy in International Relations, E-International relations, URL: https://www.e-ir.info/2020/03/17/the-rise-of-paradiplomacy-in-international-relations/ (дата обращения: 27.08.2022).
Mocca, E. (2020), (Nearly) Outside the Shadow of Hierarchy: An Enquiry into the Teleology of Municipal Paradiplomacy in the EU, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, no. 15 (3), pp. 303–328.
Raś, M. (2021), Dynamics of international activity of sub-state regions, Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Международные отношения, т. 14, вып. 1, с. 71–81.
Schiavon, J. (2020), Comparative Paradiplomacy (Federalism Studies), 1st ed., London: Routledge.
Tianyang, L. and Yao, S. (2020), Chinese Paradiplomacy: A Theoretical Review, SAGE Open, January- March, pp. 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019899048
Criekemans, D. (2010), Regional Sub-State Diplomacy from a Comparative Perspective: Quebec, Scotland, Bavaria, Catalonia, Wallonia and Flanders, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, vol. 5, no. 1–2, pp. 37–64.
Lecours, A. and Moreno, L. (2003), Paradiplomacy: A Nation-building Strategy? A Reference to the Basque Country, in: Gagnen, A. G., Guibernau, M. and Rocher, F. (eds), The Conditions of Diversity in Multinational Democracies, Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy, pp. 267–292.
Saner, R. and Yiu, L. (2003), International Economic Diplomacy: Mutations in Post-Modern Times, Discussion Paper in Diplomacy № 84, Geneva. URL: http://www.businessdiplomats.com/images/articles/files/Postmodern_diplomacy.pdf (дата обращения: 27.08.2022).
Oddone, N. (2021), Paradiplomacy: An Opportunity to Strengthen Public Leadership in the Time of COVID-19, Our World. URL: https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/paradiplomacy-an-opportunity-to-strengthenpublic-leadership-in-the-time-of-covid-19 (дата обращения: 27.08.2022).
Hocking, B. (2005), Rethinking the New Public Diplomacy, in: The New public Diplomacy, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 28–36.
Mitchell, J. (2010), Lobbying “Brussels”. The Case of Scotland Europa, European Urban and Regional Studies, no. 2 (4), pp. 287–298.
Newland, S. A. (2022), Paradiplomacy as a response to international isolation: the case of Taiwan, The Pacific Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2022.2025889
Еремина, Н. В. и Кагриманян, А. С. (2019), Брекзит: еще один исторический шанс для Шотландии? Россия и современный мир, № 1 (102), с. 84–97.
Scottish Independence 2022. URL: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/scottishindependence (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
EU Referendum: Final Results. URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-brexit-referendum/ (дата обращения: 04.09.2022).
Еремина, Н. В. (2017), Корни Брекзита: конфликт идентичностей в Соединенном Королевстве, Контуры глобальных трансформаций: политика, экономика, право, т. 10, № 1, с. 87–105.
Худолей, К. К. и Еремина, Н. В. (2017), Брекзит: новый «старый» выбор Великобритании, Современная Европа, № 3 (75), с. 28–36.
Еремина, Н. В. (2012), Парадипломатия: новый голос регионов в современном дипломатическом концерте?: на примере Шотландии и Уэльса, Мировая экономика и международные отношения, № 6, с. 42–51.
Berbéri, C. (2016), The Impact of Scotland’s Prospective Membership of the EU on the 2014 Referendum Debate: Concerns over Borders, Études écossaises, no. 18, pp. 11–28. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises/1041 (дата обращения: 21.08.2022).
Еремина, Н. В. (2011), Политико-правовые механизмы деволюции в кельтских регионах Великобритании. СПб.: СПбГУ.
Scotland’s international framework 2017, Scottish Government. URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-framework-9781788514033/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
Yes campaign 2022. URL: https://www.yes.scot/independence/ (дата обращения: 04.09.2022).
Are the SNP opposed to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)? SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/are-the-snp-opposed-to-the-transatlantic-trade-and-investmentpartnership-ttip/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2019, SNP Official Site. URL: https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/www.snp.org/uploads/2019/11/11_27-SNP-Manifesto-2019-for-download.pdf (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
European Free Alliance (EFA), SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/efa/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
SNP Trident facts (2021), March 16. URL: https://www.snp.org/tridentfacts/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2022, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/snp-manifesto-2022-what-youneed-to-know/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2021, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/manifesto/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2021, URL: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/scotland-manifesto-tracker (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP position on Catalonia? SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pbwhat-is-the-snp-position-on-catalonia/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
European Free Alliance Report 2020. URL: https://e-f-a.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/EFA-10059-annual-report-2020-160621-LR.pdf (дата обращения: 19.05.2022).
European Free Alliance. Press Release 2021. URL: https://e-f-a.org/2021/09/24/efa-press-releasearrest-of-carles-puigdemont/https://e-f-a.org/2021/09/24/efa-press-release-arrest-of-carles-puigdemont/ (дата обращения: 19.05.2022).
Greens/EFA priorities for the conference on the future of Europe 2022. URL: http://extranet.greens-efa.eu/public/media/file/1/7033 (дата обращения: 04.09.2022).
Greens/EFA priorities 2022. URL: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/greens-efa-priorities-for-the-conference-on-the-future-of-europe (дата обращения: 04.09.2022).
What is the Scottish EU Continuity Bill?, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pbwhat-is-the-scottish-eu-continuity-bill/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP’s position on EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in other EU countries? URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-s-position-on-eu-citizens-living-in-the-uk-anduk-citizens-living-in-other-eu-countries/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
How can the SNP support membership of the EU alongside independence?, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/how-can-the-snp-support-membership-of-the-eu-alongside-independence/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP’s position on rejoining the EU?, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-s-position-on-rejoining-the-eu/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP doing for international development?, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-doing-for-international-development/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
How will the SNP support peace-making in Syria?, SNP Official Site. URL: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-how-will-the-snp-support-peace-making-in-syria/ (дата обращения: 24.08.2022).
Percival, R. (2022), Nicola Sturgeon slaps down Michael Russell’s ‘crass’ attempt to link Ukrainian war and Scottish independence, Scottish Daily Express. URL: https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-news-scottish-independence-ukraine-26367405 (дата обращения: 25.08.2022).
Where do Scots stand on independence in 2022? URL: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articlesreports/2022/06/14/where-do-scots-stand-independence-2022 (дата обращения: 04.09.2022).
References
Soldatos, P. (1990), An Explanatory Framework for the Study of Federated States as Foreign Policy Actors, in: Michelmann, H. and Soldatos, P. (eds), Federalism and International Relations: The Role of Subnational Units, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 34–53.
Duchacek, I. (1990), Perforated Sovereignties: Towards a Typology of New Actors in International Relations, in: Michelmann, H. and Soldatos, P. (eds), Federalism and International Relations: The Role of Subnational Units, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990, pp. 1–34.
Alvarez, M. (2020), The Rise of Paradiplomacy in International Relations, E-International relations, Available at: https://www.e-ir.info/2020/03/17/the-rise-of-paradiplomacy-in-international-relations/ (accessed: 27.08.2022).
Mocca, E. (2020), (Nearly) Outside the Shadow of Hierarchy: An Enquiry into the Teleology of Municipal Paradiplomacy in the EU, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, no. 15 (3), pp. 303–328.
Raś, M. (2021), Dynamics of international activity of sub-state regions, Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. International Relations, vol. 14, iss. 1, pp. 71–81.
Schiavon, J. (2020), Comparative Paradiplomacy (Federalism Studies), 1st ed., London: Routledge.
Tianyang, L. and Yao, S. (2020), Chinese Paradiplomacy: A Theoretical Review, SAGE Open, January- March, pp. 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019899048
Criekemans, D. (2010), Regional Sub-State Diplomacy from a Comparative Perspective: Quebec, Scotland, Bavaria, Catalonia, Wallonia and Flanders, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, vol. 5, no. 1–2, pp. 37–64.
Lecours, A. and Moreno, L. (2003), Paradiplomacy: A Nation-building Strategy? A Reference to the Basque Country, in: Gagnen, A. G., Guibernau, M. and Rocher, F. (eds), The Conditions of Diversity in Multinational Democracies, Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy, pp. 267–292.
Saner, R., Yiu, L. (2003), International Economic Diplomacy: Mutations in Post-Modern Times, Discussion Paper in Diplomacy № 84, Geneva. Available at: http://www.businessdiplomats.com/images/articles/files/Postmodern_diplomacy.pdf (accessed: 27.08.2022).
Oddone, N. (2021), Paradiplomacy: An Opportunity to Strengthen Public Leadership in the Time of COVID-19, Our World. Available at: https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/paradiplomacy-an-opportunity-tostrengthen-public-leadership-in-the-time-of-covid-19 (accessed: 27.08.2022).
Hocking, B. (2005), Rethinking the New Public Diplomacy, in: The New public Diplomacy, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 28–36.
Mitchell, J. (2010), Lobbying “Brussels”. The Case of Scotland Europa, European Urban and Regional Studies, no. 2 (4), pp. 287–298.
Newland, S. A. (2022), Paradiplomacy as a response to international isolation: the case of Taiwan, The Pacific Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2022.2025889
Eremina, N. V. and Kagrimanyan, А. S. (2019), Brexit: one more historical chance for Scotland?, Rossiia i sovremennyi mir, no. 1 (102), pp. 84–97. (In Russian)
Scottish Independence 2022. Available at: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/scottish-independence (accessed: 24.08.2022).
EU Referendum: Final Results. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2016-brexit-referendum/ (accessed: 04.09.2022).
Eremina, N. V. (2017), Roots of Brexit: Identity Conflict in the United Kingdom, Outlines of Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, Law, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 87–105. (In Russian)
Khudoley, К. К. and Eremina, N. V., (2017), Brexit: Britain’s New ‘Old’ Choice, Contemporary Europe, no. 3 (75), pp. 28–36. (In Russian).
Eremina, N. V. (2012), Paradiplomacy: A New Voice of the Regions in the Modern Diplomatic Concert?: The Case of Scotland and Wales, World Economy and International Relations, no. 6, pp. 42–51. (In Russian)
Berbéri, C. (2016), The Impact of Scotland’s Prospective Membership of the EU on the 2014 Referendum Debate: Concerns over Bordersp, Études écossaises, no. 18, pp. 11–28. Available at: https://journals.openedition.org/etudesecossaises/1041 (accessed: 21.08.2022).
Eremina, N. V. (2011), Political and legal mechanisms of devolution in the Celtic regions of Great Britain. St Petersburg: St Petersburg University Press. (In Russian)
Scotland’s international framework 2017, Scottish Government. Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-framework-9781788514033/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
Yes campaign 2022. Available at: https://www.yes.scot/independence/ (accessed: 04.09.2022).
Are the SNP opposed to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)? SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/are-the-snp-opposed-to-the-transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-ttip/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2019, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/www.snp.org/uploads/2019/11/11_27-SNP-Manifesto-2019-for-download.pdf (accessed: 24.08.2022).
European Free Alliance (EFA), SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/efa/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
SNP Trident facts (2021), March 16. Available at: https://www.snp.org/tridentfacts/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2022, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/snp-manifesto-2022-whatyou-need-to-know/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2021, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/manifesto/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
SNP Manifesto 2021, Available at: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/scotland-manifestotracker (accessed: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP position on Catalonia? SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-position-on-catalonia/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
European Free Alliance Report 2020. Available at: https://e-f-a.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/EFA-10059-annual-report-2020-160621-LR.pdf (accessed: 19.05.2022).
European Free Alliance. Press Release 2021. Available at: https://e-f-a.org/2021/09/24/efa-press-release-arrest-of-carles-puigdemont/https://e-f-a.org/2021/09/24/efa-press-release-arrest-of-carles-puigdemont/ (accessed: 19.05.2022).
Greens/EFA priorities for the conference on the future of Europe 2022. Available at: http://extranet.greens-efa.eu/public/media/file/1/7033 (accessed: 04.09.2022).
Greens/EFA priorities 2022. Available at: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/greens-efa-priorities-for-theconference-on-the-future-of-europe (accessed: 04.09.2022).
What is the Scottish EU Continuity Bill?, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-scottish-eu-continuity-bill/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP’s position on EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in other EU countries? Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-s-position-on-eu-citizens-living-in-the-ukand-uk-citizens-living-in-other-eu-countries/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
How can the SNP support membership of the EU alongside independence?, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/how-can-the-snp-support-membership-of-the-eu-alongside-independence/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP’s position on rejoining the EU?, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-s-position-on-rejoining-the-eu/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
What is the SNP doing for international development?, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-what-is-the-snp-doing-for-international-development/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
How will the SNP support peace-making in Syria?, SNP Official Site. Available at: https://www.snp.org/policies/pb-how-will-the-snp-support-peace-making-in-syria/ (accessed: 24.08.2022).
Percival, R. (2022), Nicola Sturgeon slaps down Michael Russell’s ‘crass’ attempt to link Ukrainian war and Scottish independence, Scottish Daily Express. Available at: https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-news-scottish-independence-ukraine-26367405 (accessed: 25.08.2022).
Where do Scots stand on independence in 2022? Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/06/14/where-do-scots-stand-independence-2022 (accessed: 04.09.2022).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. International relations" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
