Constitutional Crises and Regionalism (2023) analyses regional constitutional crises, where a large portion of residents no longer believe that the rule of law, as defined by central institutions, governs them. Laying out a framework for effective governance in divided societies, Vito Breda argues that peace and collaboration are linked to managing shared beliefs through constitutional law.

Adopting a pragmatic view of regional identity as constantly changing and creating a mistrust of rule by ‘others’, Breda explores a wide range of case studies, including Hong Kong, Northern Ireland and Quebec, where nationalism and political violence have led to state actions becoming discredited. Particular attention is paid to those concerned with the lingering effects of a colonial past in China. The book demonstrates that constitutional law projects visions of what a society is and wants to be, and argues that less hegemonic perspectives increase the likelihood of cooperation, leading to better outcomes for all citizens.

You can order the book here with a discount code VBRE35 at checkout and get a 35% off.  The discount is valid until the end of 2024.

Reviews:

‘This book by Vito Breda constitutes a major exploration of a series of ethno-regionalism cases in Europe, North America, East Asia, and Oceania through the lenses of constitutionalism and territorial politics. The author convincingly illustrates how cooperation among groups, respect between key political partners, and the protection of human dignity contribute to creating the necessary conditions for political stability and reciprocity. Complementary to this sustained account, a crucial point is made to the effect that permanent negotiations among political partners open the way to the expansion of the democratic exercise while instilling a culture of togetherness—a must-read for anyone interested in the development of multinational democracies.’ – Alain-G. Gagnon, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada

‘Regionalism is in the midst of a renaissance, and there is no scholar better than Vito Breda to assess the challenges and opportunities regionalism raises for constitutional stability and performance. Timely and inspired, this study of sub-state identity-formation exposes deep fissures in multinational societies but charts a hopeful path for managing regional constitutional crises.’ – Richard Albert, University of Texas, US

Dr Vito Breda is an expert on federalism and decentralisation policies. Vito has just completed his second book on regionalism titled: Constitutional Crises and Regionalism. The book is included in the prestigious Elgar Monographs in Constitutional and Administrative Law series, edited by Rosalind Dixon (UNSW), Susan Rose-Ackerman (Yale University ), and Mark Tushnet (Harvard Law School).

In 2014 -15, Dr Breda was MacCormick Fellow at the Law School of the University of Edinburgh. Previously he was appointed visiting fellow at the Centre for European Studies at the Australian National University. Before joining USQ, Dr Breda lectured at Cardiff Law School, worked as a researcher for the Scottish Parliament, and at the University of Milan.

Also, he is the sole editor of Legal Transplants in East Asia and Oceania (2019, Cambridge University Press). Among his publications are Constitutional Law and Regionalism (2018, Edward Elgar Publishing), The Objectivity of Judicial Decisions (2017, Peter Lang Publishing), and Diverse Narratives of Legal Objectivity (2016, Peter Lang Publishing).