institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 40, 2026 «Cardiff Agreement: a new call for independence for the UK's Celtic nations»
- 12 October 2026
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 40, 2026 «Cardiff Agreement: a new call for independence for the UK's Celtic nations» (in Russian) by Oleg Okhoshin, Candidate of Science (History), Senior Researcher, Department of Countries Studies, Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The new British Prime Minister, A. Burnham, bases his political philosophy on "Manchesterism", i.e. expanded devolution within the United Kingdom. The Celtic regions perceived this project of power decentralization as a direct call to action. On September 14, 2026, in Cardiff, the heads of the nationalist parties of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland signed a joint Agreement on the right of their regions to self-determination. On the same day, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales signed an agreement on regional cooperation in socio-economic development and relations with the EU. These documents do not signify the imminent collapse of the state or a new stage in the movement towards independence, but rather the strengthening of coordination among nationalist parties in the Celtic regions of the UK against the backdrop of the weakness of central authority.
