confederalisme

Confederalism is a political arrangement in which sovereign states join together to form a union that delegates only a defined set of powers to a central authority, while retaining ultimate sovereignty. In a confederal system, the central authority derives its legitimacy from the member states and operates with limited competences, such as coordinating defense, foreign relations, or common policy areas agreed by the member states.

Key features include voluntary association, narrow central powers, and intergovernmental decision-making. Major policy decisions often require consensus or unanimity, and membership can be open to new states or subject to withdrawal. Because the central government depends on the member states for its authority, it tends to be weaker and more dependent on cooperation than in federal systems or unitary states.

Differences from federal and unitary models are central: in federal systems, sovereignty is shared between a central government and constituent units with direct authority over citizens in many domains; in unitary states, sovereignty lies largely in a central authority. Confederal arrangements are typically looser and more prone to deadlock, negotiation, or defection by members, though they can offer flexibility and preserve regional autonomy.

Historically, confederal structures have appeared in various forms. The Swiss Old Confederacy linked autonomous cantons, and the United States operated under the Articles of Confederation from 1781 to 1789 before evolving toward a more centralized federal system. The Iroquois Confederacy is often cited as an ethnopolitical confederation. In modern discourse, the European Union is sometimes described as confederal, though scholars debate this classification given its supranational elements.

See also: confederation, federation, intergovernmental organization, supranationalism.