Co-Determination: A Central Feature of Multinational Federalism

Abstract Multinational federalism is often described as a solution to the problem of nationalities because it allows several national projects to coexist in a single state. However, while the question of self-determination within multinational federations has been developed at length, the question of shared rule remains less so. The proponents of the multinational project rarely spell out the implications of this concept. What does shared rule mean from a multinational perspective? Far more than self-determination, shared rule accounts for the normative appeal of multinational federalism. Drawing on recent advances in the study of federalism, this article argues that, to retain its normative appeal, multinational federalism must adopt a particular understanding of shared rule: co-determination.