The concept took shape in Europe in the late Middle Ages and early modern period. In the sixteenth century, Jean Bodin described a supreme, permanent state power. The Peace of Westphalia of 1648 then strongly linked sovereignty to territorial states and the principle of non-interference.
Later, the legitimacy shifted from monarchs to the people and states began to exercise powers jointly, for example within the European Union. History shows that sovereignty always revolves around the same core question: who ultimately has the final say?