| Summary: | This article examines the topic of multi-national democracies and their possiblepolitical adaptation via federal models. The analysis has two main centresof focus. First, it discusses some of the elements of the theoretical dialogueon legislation in liberal democracies on such topics as national and culturalpluralism. Secondly, it carries out a comparative analysis of the federationsand of some regional states in the context of their uni-national and multi-nationalcharacter, their degree of federalism, their degree of decentralisationand the regulation of legal asymmetries or lack thereof. The article concludesby pointing out the possibilities and limits of federal models in multinationalbackdrops, advocating instead the model characterised as “multi-nationalfederalism” based on three normative conditions: explicit political andconstitutional recognition of national pluralism of the federation, a high degreeof self-governance in five areas of application on behalf of national minorities,and the establishment of mechanisms for participation and conditions.All of these call for the institutional regulation of both the positiveand negative collective freedoms that allow legitimate and stable politicaland constitutional accommodation in the multi-national democracies.
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