‘Living the Same Full Life’? A Critical Assessment of Non-Territorial Autonomy Practice in the Vojvodina and Sápmi Contexts

Abstract

Political theorists frequently hail non-territorial autonomy (NTA) as a modality of governance that allows national minorities and indigenous peoples substantive rights to cultural self-determination without linking this to authority over a given territory. What, though, does the actual practice tell us about the possibilities for ‘deterritorialisation’ of minority identities as well as the ability of NTA to ensure their protection and longer-term reproduction? This paper addresses these questions by critically analysing two forms of contemporary NTA that are frequently portrayed as good practice examples—the Hungarian National Minority Council (HNMC) in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, and the Sámi parliaments established in the Nordic countries. Although the contexts in which these two NTA arrangements were established are very different, I argue that they highlight common issues and challenges that call into question some of the core assumptions surrounding NTA.