Archive | 2021
Conclusion: The past, present and future of power-sharing in Europe
Abstract
Revisiting the themes of adoptability, functionality and adaptability of power-sharing systems first raised in the “Introduction,” this concluding chapter assesses commonalities and differences between the cases studied in this volume along these lines. In terms of adoptability, power-sharing come into force either as a result of a negotiated elite agreement, as a consequence of elite negotiation and international mediation or via external imposition. In terms of functionality and adaptability, the chapter presents four different categories, summarized in a quadrant—power-sharing functioned well enough to no longer be necessary, facilitating its own demise; power-sharing continues to function well by adapting to changing circumstances; power-sharing functions with problems, including elite disagreements and stalemates; and power-sharing does not function well, collapsing and possibly resulting in violence. The chapter also suggests new lines of inquiry based on the book’s findings.