Publication

This policy paper examines the legal meaning and strategic rationale of a range of national and inter-state measures in Northern Europe that may be summed up as "territorial disarmament." It explores how different Nordic states and territories have acquired various special statuses, arguing that the motivation for this often relates not only to external security, but also to identity and domestic governance. The author concludes by asking whether the Nordic penchant for separation will and should survive in face of the continuing shift of European security challenges and priorities toward transnational and non-territorial dimensions.