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• Row in Latvia over forthcoming referendum on official status for Russian language

  Date: 18/01/2012

  NEWS IN BRIEF. A group of MPs is trying to convince the Constitutional Court to stop the vote. The majority of Latvian political parties reject any kind of official status for Russian. [+]

• ETA announces end of armed struggle

  Date: 20/10/2011

  Basque armed separatists assume proposals made earlier in the week by a panel of international mediators led by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern · ETA calls for Spanish and French governments to 'start a process of direct dialogue' which solves 'the consequences of the conflict'. [+]

• South Sudan: Questions and Answers

  Date: 12/07/2011

  South Sudan is the world youngest country after its declaration of independence on 9 July. This marks the culmination of a political process started in 2005, when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending 22 years of war was signed. Those agreements resulted in a timetable by which South Sudan would have a referendum on its independence. The vote was held last January, and the outcome was a resounding ‘yes’ which prevailed with nearly 99% of the ballots. [+]

• Dispersed Hungarians, united by Europe

  Date: 20/04/2011

  EDITORIAL. The new Constitution of Hungary (recently passed by the Magyar legislature) has been accused of being too nationalistic and going back to 19th century Kingdom of Hungary. It is indeed true that Hungarian politics are now affected by the appearance of some fearful facts, such as the rise of Jobbik party. But, president-emeritus of CIEMEN Aureli Argemí thinks, this should not distract us from the fact that issues regarding Hungarian ethnic minorities in neighbouring countries have not yet been settled. [+]

• A 'yes-no', immediate vote: Cameron sets conditions on Scottish independence referendum

  

  Date: 09/01/2012

  UK prime minister wants a “fair, clear and decisive” question and a vote to be held before 2014: uncertainty is “very damaging for Scotland” · Edinburgh sticks to its plan to hold the referendum on 2015 or 2016 and accuses Cameron of “interfering in the decision that is really one for the Scottish government” [+]

• Occitan regulatory body is launched in Bordeaux

  

  Date: 19/12/2011

  The Permanent Congress of the Occitan Language will be in charge of the linguistic regulation of Occitan · The new body has the support of the regions of Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Rhône-Alpes · A demonstration in March will call for better policies to foster the public use of the language [+]

• Figures of 99% support for Putin's party show evidence of democratic failure in Northern Caucasus

  

  Vladimir Putin.

  Date: 07/12/2011

  Chechnya leads the ranking of massive turnouts in the region, with almost all people supposedly casting their votes · Political analysts compare the results with “Soviet times” · Opposition parties denounce vote rigging in other non-Russian ethnic republics [+]

• Quechua and Aymara declared official languages in Peru's region of Puno

  

  Date: 06/12/2011

  A new ordinance asks regional authorities to introduce the teaching of both languages “at all levels of education” · 41% of the region's population speak Quechua and a further 30% speak Aymara · The oficialisation of both languages is foreseen by the Peruvian Constitution [+]

• Alsace heading towards a unified political body and a larger autonomy

  

  Alsatian representatives, after the vote. / Photo: Région Alsace

  Date: 02/12/2011

  Alsatian representatives pass a resolution aimed at merging three different political authorities in 2014 · The project wants to avoid duplication of roles between bodies · The new territorial collectivity of Alsace could get new powers on education, transport and economic development [+]

• Thousands gather in pro-independence march in West Papua after October killings

  

  Date: 14/11/2011

  Protesters demand the organization of a referendum on self-determination · Six Papuans were killed last month while the pro-independence Papuan Congress was being held [+]

• “Strong Silesian institutions with independent financing are fundamental”

  

  M. Kies flags yellow-blue Silesian colors in a pro-autonomy gathering.

  Date: 10/11/2011

  INTERVIEW. Michał Kieś, president of the Katowice Branch of the Silesian Autonomy Movement, explains that the Silesian political movement seeks a new system “based on a regional treasury” and regional bodies “equipped with wide competences, such as fiscal policy, education, organization of local administration and regional police” · Party members want a “substantial amendment of the Polish constitution” in order to implement their “Autonomy 2020” plan [+]

• Cyprus negotiation sources believe an agreement could be reached by January

  

  Date: 07/11/2011

  Secretary-general of UN talks about “encouraging progress” in order to turn the island into a binational federation · Turkey threatens to boycott the Cyprus presidency of the EU if the is no agreement before July · Negotiations are held in the framework of increasingly changing relations between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Turkey in Eastern Mediterranean [+]

• Kuupik Kleist: Greenland will be an independent, rich and fair country in 2050

  

  Date: 31/10/2011

  Greenlandic first minister foresees that the exploitation of natural resources and educational improvement of the population will be the key to guarantee the new country's sustainability · Inuit leader thinks that also Faroe Islands will reach full sovereignty during the same period of time · Greenlandic pro-independence parties have shown strength in recent elections [+]