Over the past decades the nation state lost its political primacy by processes of devolution, Europeanisation and globalisation, which in turn enhanced municipal autonomy. Why do some cities seek to sidestep the state and widen their sphere of action? Bridging political geography, local politics and urban sociology, this book gives a new perspective on the state’s weakening authority and the parallel rise of cities as political actors. The author considers the tensions between central states and European cities, giving a new perspective to students and researchers in the social sciences.Why do some cities seek to sidestep the state and widen their sphere of action? Bridging political geography, local politics and urban sociology, this book gives a new perspective on this conflict for students and researchers in urban studies, geography, and political science. The author considers the recent rise of nationalism in Europe and the growing autonomy of many second-tier cities in this analysis of the central state’s weakening authority.