The Short and Brutish Life of Republika Srpska Krajina: Failure of a De Facto State

Kolstø, Pål; Pauković, Davor

doi:10.1080/17449057.2013.864805

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Similarly, despite consecutive attempts by various scholars to define a de facto state (e.g., Byman & King, 2012;Caspersen, 2012;Florea, 2014;Geldenhuys, 2009;Ker-Lindsay, 2022;Kolstø, 2006;Kolstø & Paukovic, 2013;Kursani, 2021;Ó Beacháin et al, 2016;Seth, 2022;Spears, 2004;Toomla, 2014), no other definition has been broadly accepted so far. As a result, scholarship is flooded with diverse definitions, including underdeveloped and developed, minimalist and maximalist, and conservative and liberal ones.…”

Section: Problem 1: No Consensus On a Definition Of A De Facto Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, several entities frequently, if not commonly designated de facto states in the literature, do not meet the independence criterion. It concerns entities such as Transnistria (Kosienkowski, 2013) and South Ossetia (Hoch, 2020), the historical Gagauz Republic (Kosienkowski, 2017a), and the Republika Srpska Krajina (Kolstø & Paukovic, 2013). It also applies to, at least for some period of their existence, Northern Cyprus (Isachenko, 2012, pp.…”

Section: Problem 2: Imperfect Definitions Of a De Facto Statementioning

confidence: 99%

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Four Problems of De Facto State Studies: A Central European Perspective

Kosienkowski¹

2022

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De facto states are entities that resemble normal states, except for one difference: they lack international recognition or enjoy it only to a limited extent. Scott Pegg initiated a scholarly inquiry on these entities in 1998 when he published his seminal book, International Society and the De Facto State. Counting about twenty years after the birth of de facto state studies, scholars have started publishing their reflections on the problems that these studies face and directions for future research. I follow this reflective trend in my essay, drawing on my nearly two-decade-long experience of researching de facto states. More precisely, I discuss four problems of de facto state studies and suggest how they can be solved. These problems are as follows: 1. no consensus on a definition of a de facto state, 2. imperfect existing definitions, 3. insufficient engagement with the non-Western literature, and 4. indifference to other concepts and frameworks when studying de facto states.

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Section: Problem 1: No Consensus On a Definition Of A De Facto Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Problem 2: Imperfect Definitions Of a De Facto Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Four Problems of De Facto State Studies: A Central European Perspective

Kosienkowski¹

2022

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“…As Caspersen (2007Caspersen ( , 2012 has pointed out, the Serbian rebel regime in the self-proclaimed Republic Srpska Krajina (RSK) in Croatia (1999Croatia ( -2005 was utterly dependent on material support and manpower from President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia; even so, the regime repeatedly defied the instructions of the patron. This obstinacy was clearly a factor that led to the downfall of the RSK (Kolstø and Paukovic 2014). This seems to indicate that secessionist leaders can ignore the wishes of their patron only so farbeyond that point, they proceed at their own peril.…”

Section: Patron-client Relations In International Politics De Facto mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biting the hand that feeds them? Abkhazia–Russia client–patron relations

Kolstø

2020

Post-Soviet Affairs

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The article discusses the post-Soviet de facto state of Abkhazia, and its relationship to its main patron, Russia. All patron-client nexuses are marked by a high degree of asymmetrical powerespecially with de facto states, which depend upon the patron for their very survival. Thus, it is surprising to see how de facto client states repeatedly show that they are both willing and able to defy the wishes of their patrons and pursue their own agendas instead. Moreover, the patron may be willing to tolerate such rebelliousness. What can explain such "disobedient" behavior? I examine three contentious aspects of Russian-Abkhazian relations: the process leading up to the signing of an extended bilateral agreement in 2014; the tussles over how to fight crime in Abkhazia; and acrimony over Abkhazia's reluctance to allow Russians to buy property in their country, despite massive pressure from Russian authorities.

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“…Democratization in Abkhazia, Iraqi Kurdistan, and Somaliland would seem ripe for comparison, as would how the removal of existential insecurity in Abkhazia in 2008 and in the TRNC in 1974 affects their political development. Kolstø and Paukovic's (2014) fascinating study on the collapse of Krajina suggests future comparative work along these lines examining such cases as Biafra, Chechnya, and Tamil Eelam. We need more comparative work on the post-Soviet cases, but we also need more comparative work that goes beyond them to other de facto states and/or other adjacent phenomena.…”

Section: Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty Years of de facto State Studies: Progress, Problems, and Prospects

Pegg¹

2017

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics

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It has been almost 20 years since the publication of International Society and the De Facto State by Scott Pegg in 1998, the first book-length substantive theoretical attempt to investigate the phenomenon of de facto states—secessionist entities that control territory, provide governance, receive popular support, persist over time, and seek widespread recognition of their proclaimed sovereignty and yet fail to receive it. Even though most de facto states are relatively small and fragile actors, in the intervening years the study of de facto or contested or unrecognized statehood has expanded dramatically. The de facto state literature has contributed significantly to the growing recognition that the international system is far more variegated than is commonly perceived. An initial focus on the external relations of de facto states has increasingly given way to a newer focus on their internal dynamics and domestic state-building processes and on how a lack of sovereign recognition conditions but does not prohibit their democratic, institutional, and political development. Perhaps most notably, there has been an explosion in detailed empirical research based on original data, which has greatly enriched our understanding of these entities. Alas, the subfield of de facto state studies is also characterized by recurrent problems. There has been an extensive proliferation of different terms used to describe these entities, and much fighting has erupted over precise definitions, resulting in limited scholarly progress. Fundamentally, there remains a continued failure to reach agreement on the number of these entities that exist or have existed since 1945. The nuanced and empirically rich academic literature has also largely failed to advance journalists or policymakers’ understanding of de facto states. Yet, the prospects for de facto state studies remain bright. More diverse comparative work, renewed attention to how engagement without recognition might facilitate the participation of unrecognized entities in international politics, a renewed focus on parent state strategies, and increased attention to de facto states and conflict resolution are areas deserving of greater scholarly attention.

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The Short and Brutish Life of Republika Srpska Krajina: Failure of a De Facto State

Cited by 14 publications

References 21 publications

Four Problems of De Facto State Studies: A Central European Perspective

Four Problems of De Facto State Studies: A Central European Perspective

Biting the hand that feeds them? Abkhazia–Russia client–patron relations

Twenty Years of de facto State Studies: Progress, Problems, and Prospects

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