‘Federalism could lead to separatism’

SHIFTING to a federal system of government could lead to states eventually seceding and declaring independence or joining a neighboring state, an expert on Central European affairs has warned.

Krystian Cholaszczynski, a political science professor at the College of Social and Media Culture in Poland, cited the case of the small state of Crimea, which was granted autonomy by Ukraine but was later annexed by Moscow.

“Federalization, for me, can be a dangerous thing,” Cholaszczynski said in a lecture at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Thursday.