FRJB25 MC INDEPENDENCE The independence of the countries of our Erasmus+ correspondents

First, the group of 20 students researched the concept of independence : Latin etymology, definition of political independence (a concept that first appeared in the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776), types of independence (union and amalgamation, decolonisation, dissolution, secession, separation) to which they had to associate an example in Europe ; difference between independence and autonomy ; independence and autonomy movements in Europe : each group carried out specific research on one of them (among the movements selected : Catalonia, Flanders, Veneto, the Basque Country, Corsica, Scotland).

The students were then divided into 6 groups according to their mobility destination (Portugal, Estonia, Slovakia, Sicily).

Each group began by doing some general research on the history of the country, and then focused more specifically on the period when the country gained its independence or autonomy. The dates chosen were : 

- Estonia : 24 February 1918 Declaration of independence from the Russian Empire ; 20 August 1991 : independence recognised by the USSR and end of its occupation. – Portugal : 26 July 1139 : the county of Portugal acquires its independence from the kingdom of León after the battle of Ourique, as a Christian kingdom resulting from the Reconquista. Recognised by the Kingdom of León in 1143 and by the Pope in 1179 ; 1 December 1640 Restoration of Portugal's independence from Spain following the end of the Portuguese War of Restoration ; 25 April 1974 End of the Estado Novo (authoritarian regime of António de Oliveira Salazar). – Slovakia : 1 January 1993 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, creating Slovakia and the Czech Republic. - Sicily: the Statute of Regional Autonomy is promulgated on 15 May 1946 and included in the constitutional law of 26 February 1948.

Finally, each group created a poster or slide show explaining the conditions of access to independence or autonomy for the country they were working on. 

The 20 students first presented their research on independence and autonomy in Europe to the whole class, then each group presented its poster or slide show.