The Union of Utrecht: An Unfinished Constitutional Definition between Federalism and Particularism

What is it about?

The signing of the Union of Utrecht in 1579 has been always considered a milestone in the history of the Netherlands. The treaty is usually considered as a crucial step in the establishment of the Dutch Republic and a benchmark for later liberal constitutions, but it was far from being revolutionary. This paper reveals the limitations that accompanied the implementation of certain measures under the union, in a context where the particularism of provinces and towns remained predominant. In this sense, the political formation of the Dutch Republic responded to the practical circumstances surrounding its evolution during its first decades and not to the theoretical guidelines contained in a document whose political and constitutional value seems rather questionable.

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Photo by Bodi.raw on Unsplash

Photo by Bodi.raw on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This analysis challenges the mythologised image of the Union of Utrecht that has been perpetuated for centuries. Circumstances and interests, not the treaty itself, determined a Dutch political system that oscillated between particularism and federalism over the next two centuries. In times of political crisis, the text of the Union of Utrecht was a basic instrument to promote one or the other tendency, and its interpretation always depended on the correlation of forces. When it comes to this document and its impact, studying the context in which it was invoked and instrumentalised can be even more revealing than focusing on its theoretical or legal formulations.