A move towards federalism, with states of 5 to 10 million, seems very attractive to me, especially recently. I don't think it would be a good idea for countries that are unstable even though a little paradoxically that is something that makes secession far more likely! (I don't think it would be wise to neighbour newly formed fragments with various dangerous elements and little common purpose (e.g. through a sense of identity or shared values or whatever)).

The way the world is moving (at least in the Western world) it seems that the importance of your country being heard on the Stage is much reduced: having more direct representation is far more important (politicians\diplomats should not be heard purely because of which country they are from, but because of who they represent).