State rescaling and a ‘Europe of the Regions’ in small unitary states: a damp squib?

Abstract

This conclusion ties together the various contributions to the Special Issue from the perspective of the introductory framework. Based on this framework, the conclusion shows that: (i) domestic mediating factors are responsible for nuanced state rescaling outcomes in small unitary states, (ii) the EU has led to decentralization and recentralization in both phases of the EU decision-making process and (iii) the level of authority is the best predictor of SNAs’ empowerment, although this is intertwined with secondary mediating domestic factors. This concluding article sheds new light on the hybrid nature of the European polity and demonstrates that states remain the most important pieces of the European ‘puzzle’. The Special Issue arrives at two conclusions: first, we are witnessing a ‘transformation of the state’ rather than its demise, and second, the notion of a ‘Europe of the Regions’ in small unitary states is nothing more than a ‘damp squib’.