Minor but Key

In 1912, the socialist politician Jules Destrée sent an open letter to Albert I, King of the Belgians, telling him “the great and horrifying truth: there are no Belgians.” He continued, “You rule over two peoples. In Belgium there are Walloons and Flemings; there are no Belgians.” More recently, Belgian politics has been riven by differences between these “two peoples,” with a series of reforms that have devolved extensive powers through complex arrangements with the greatly diminished central government.

In Fragile Nations, Félix Mathieu, a professor of law at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, reviews how five “non-sovereign nations” that are minorities within their sovereign states — like Wallonia in Belgium — have sought and achieved greater autonomy and recognition. The book is an updated English version of the French original, from 2024. It is densely argued and academic.

Beyond Belgium, Mathieu examines the experience of minority...