Silesia occupation

Good. In the end Europe will be the Europe of regions.

Regions have the right to have their own autonomy.

Slesians...of course they should feel first part of their own nation culturally and socially

A Kaszub is first of all a Kaszub and then a Pole. I do not see anything wrong with that.

After all, the socio-economic needs of Schlesien are far different of Białystok

but there is a move towards more regional autonomy and Katowice certainly wants this. No reason they shouldn't get it either.

Any area or region has the right to seceed and declare independence provided they have a referendum open to all residents of that region, regardless of identity.

the reason is that 98% of the regions population is against it.

Well given the polls approximately 2% of Śląsk inhabitants want autonomy, case closed.

move implies increasing interest in a cause, there's none

You'd think that would be relevant, but it isn't. Not least because no concrete proposals have been formulated, discussed at either a local or national level or put to the voters yet

is rather silly, since regionalism is a complex thing about identity, dialect and culture, all of which in Silesia have been very much a focus of "increasing interest" since 1989.

ndependence, but there is a move towards more regional autonomy and Katowice certainly wants this. No reason they shouldn't get it either.

or also the the people who were forced to move out? (not many still alive so maybe there children could vote?) After all if you have past family born in Silesia back to the 1700's or earlier, I think there should be some kind of rights for this.

Poland would end up like Britain, with a bunch of jumped up petty states constantly seeking to blame the central government for everything,

As for Alec Salmond - he doesn't have universal support in Scotland, and the issues surrounding devolution are very complicated - more so than the Velvet Divorce - but if the Scots really want to leave the Union and confirm that by a legally constituted referendum we can't stop them by any ethical or democratic means. And polls show that they would leave with most English people's blessing. As as I presume from your user name you support the ConDems - or at least the cons - I would have thought you'd like the idea - it's very much in the electoral interests of the Tories to say goodbye to Wales and Scotland.

I don't understand, in an age when nationalism is supposedly less important why would would you wont separation?

don't want separation - I am pro UK and as far as I'm concerned Scotland is an independent country anyway, but if they decide to go it alone I'm not going to join the army and fight with them. As Mr Salmond said, after independence Scotland and England would be best friends.

The arguments for and against are complex and sometimes silly, with taproom hotheads on one side wanting a backdated check for oil revenues and their equally hotheaded opponents retorting by suggesting a backdated check to represent the enormous benefits that Scottish commerce got after union when they suddenly had tariff free access to India. All this is spurious history and one argument against Scots independence that I heard recently was that as a member state in the Eurozone (which Scotland would have no choice about) they would in fact have far less autonomy than they do now. And as a state with a weak economy and a huge state sector that would be a very bad idea.

English people who support Scots independence often point out how rich England would be after a split (especially since the Ulstermen would be a Scots rather than an English matter), and England is by far the richest part of the UK, but I only see problems.

Whereas the synergy created by Scotland and England has probably been the most successful alliance in the history of the world.

so maybe there children could vote?)

is that quite a few politicians, especially in Upper Silesia are keen on the idea of European funding going directly to them,

I love making you my b*tch,

As Mr Salmond said, after independence Scotland and England would be best friends.

Nobody's talking about what you amusingly call the "Sillesian authonomous movement" which is more a nineties thing than anything else

. The Silesians (a distinct group, by the way, with a foot in two countries) aren't interested in independence, but there is a move towards more regional autonomy and Katowice certainly wants this.

d the cultural attributes of Slask as a discrete historical Entity.

there's no move towards such

No such thing as a discrete historical entity, Śląsk was never not once in its history a separate entity, whether historical or political, its interwar "authonomy" was never a true authonomy since its foreign policy and business relations were regulated by Warsaw.

indeed Maciej Giertych (he's an MEP, you know) wrote a very interesting paper on the matter which upset the Scots somewhat.

What did that old loon have to say on the matter?

Why not stop pointlessly arguing and actually check out the EU's regional strategy - it isn't as if there's any dearth of material about it. Plenty online, so you don't even have to leave your bedroom

Nobody ever said it was a true autonomy between the wars - we are talking about regionalism, not independence. Slask does however have a very long history, whether you like it or not.

the EU's regional strategy

Slask does however have a very long history,

Is Silesia still under occupation ?

they had a prince now and then leading them - do you suggest they do back to this tradition - if so, I volunteer for that job!