A breakthrough in Northern Ireland

Stefan Kornelius compares the struggles for autonomy of Northern Ireland and Kosovo: "Northern Ireland and the Balkans are among the main zones of conflict in Europe, along with the Basque country. They reflect the continent's religious and ethnical division and are the last remnants of the old Europe that for centuries was torn by war, persecution, occupation and oppression... The outcome of Northern Ireland's struggle for independence and that of Kosovo couldn't be more different. The decision reached in Northern Ireland on Friday is the culmination of a peace process that was only possible thanks to Europe. The Northern Ireland conflict has lost its meaning because there is no place for religious conflict in Europe nowadays. Moreover, the idea of autonomy is no longer frightening in a Europe where regions are granted a large degree of freedom anyway. Autonomy loses its sting once the nation state loosens its grip. South Tyrol and Catalonia are good examples of this."

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