Liberal Democracy vs. Autocracy: the Case of Ukraine

Abstrakt: The object of this paper is to determine what kind of state is being built in Ukraine: a liberal-democratic or an authoritarian one. This article gives a brief overview of the concepts of the ‘rule of law’, ‘liberal democracy’, and ‘hybrid regimes’. It shows general trends in the status and development of democracy in East-Central Europe and identifies the main risks for democracy development in Ukraine. The paper closely examines the public administration and the judicial system of Ukraine, the work of its Central Election Commission (CEC), and the functioning of mass media and social media. The article shows that the powers of the presidential office have been expanded since 2016 while at the same time undermining democratic institutions established in the aftermath of the Euromaidan revolution.

Bibliografia:

112.UA, ‘OSCE condemns spreading fake information in Ukraine’, 30 May 2018, https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/osce-condemns-spreading-fake-information-in-ukraine-28941.html [2018-06-20].
‘Association Implementation Report on Ukraine. Joint Staff Working Document’, European Commission, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Policy, Brussels, 14.11.2017, https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/association_implementation_report_on_ukraine.pdf [2018-08-31].
Averchuk, R., ‘Presidential Power in Ukraine: A Comparative Analysis’, Vox-Ukraine, 8 July 2016, https://voxukraine.org/en/presidential-power-inukraine-comparative-perspective-en/ [2018-06-13].
Bayly, L., ‘U.S. hits E.U., Canada and Mexico with steel, aluminum tariffs, sparking trade war’, NBC News, 31 May 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/u-s-hits-e-u-canada-mexico-steel-aluminum-tariffsn878881[2018-06-25].
BBC, ‘Arkady Babchenko: Ukraine faked murder of journalist’, News, 30 May 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44307611 [2018-06-25].
Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2018 Country Report – Ukraine, Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2018.
Brown, P. and J. Horowitz, ‘Trump announces tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods’, CNNMoney, 15 June 2018, http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/14/news/economy/trump-china-tariffs/index.html [2018-06-25].
Carothers, T., ‘The Rule-of-Law Revival’, in: T. Carothers (ed.), Promoting the Rule of Law Abroad: In Search of Knowledge, Washington, D. C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006, pp. 3-13.
Constitutional Court of Ukraine [Конституційний Суд України], Рішення Конституційного Суду України від 21 грудня 2017 року № 3-р/2017 [Decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine from December 21, 2017 No. 3-p/2017], http://ccu.gov.ua/sites/default/files/docs/3-p_2017_0.pdf [2018-08-28].
Council of Europe, ‘Ukraine: Secretary General Jagland voices concern over blocking social networks and websites’, News, 17 May 2017, https://www.coe.int/en/web/secretary-general/-/secretary-general-voices-concernover-blocking-social-networks-websites-in-ukraine [2018-08-29].
Diamond, L., Defending Liberal Democracy from the Slide Toward Authoritarianism. Keynote Speech to the European Democracy Conference 2017 Bratislava, November 21, 2017, pp. 1-15, http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_24479-1442-1-30.pdf?171130131056 [2018-08-30].
Diamond, L., ‘Facing Up to the Democratic Recession’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 26, no. 1, January 2015, pp. 141-155.
Diamond, L. and L. Morlino, ‘Introduction’, in: L. Diamond and L. Morlino (eds), Assessing the Quality of Democracy, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005, pp. ix-xliii.
Espreso.TV [Еспресо], ‘Рада не розглянула призначення нового складу ЦВК’ [The Rada did not consider the appointment of the New CEC], 19 April 2018, https://espreso.tv/news/2018/04/19/rada_ne_rozglyanula_pryznachennya_novogo_skladu_cvk [2018-06-11].
European Council, ‘Joint statement following the 20th EU–Ukraine Summit Brussels’, 9 July 2018, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/36086/joint-statement-eu-ua-summit-2018.pdf [2018-08-31].
Farion, I., [Фаріон, І.], ‘«Підвішений» Центрвиборчком’ [The ‘suspended’ Central Election Commission], Високий замок [High castle], 21 May 2018, https://wz.lviv.ua/article/371374-opoblok-khoche-bachyty-u-tsvkfihuranta-chornoi-bukhhalterii-partii-rehioniv [2018-06-11].
Freedom House, ‘Freedom in the World 2018: Democracy in Crisis’, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2018 [2018-06-18].
Freedom House, ‘Freedom in the World 2018: Ukraine Profile’, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2018/ukraine [2018-06-05].
Fukuyama, F., Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy, First edition, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Fukuyama, F., ‘The Historical Pattern of Political Development in East Asia’, in: L. Diamond and M. F. Plattner, Yun-han Chu (eds), Democracy in East Asia. A new Century, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013, pp. 3-15.
Fukuyama, F., ‘The Rise of Populist Nationalism’, in: 2018 Davos Edition: “The Future of Politics”, [Zurich]: Credit Suisse Research Institute, [2018], pp. 7-12.
Galston, W. A., ‘The populist challenge to liberal democracy’, Brookings, 17 April 2018, https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-populist-challenge-to-liberal-democracy/ [2018-06-25].
Giardullo, C., ‘Four Years After: The “Long March” of Justice-Sector Reforms in Ukraine’, IAI Papers, no. 1 (January), 2018, pp. 1-23.
Halling, S., ‘EPDE Policy Alert – Electoral Reform in Ukraine #7’, European Platform for Democratic Elections, 23 July 2018, https://www.epde.org/en/news/details/epde-policy-alert-electoral-reform-in-ukraine-7.html [2018-08-30].
Hromadske international, ‘Blocking Sites Limits Freedom of Expression in Ukraine – Freedom House’, Politics, 16 May 2017, https://en.hromadske.ua/posts/blocking-websites-could-limit-access-to-information-in-ukrainefreedom-house [2018-06-20].
Human Rights Watch, ‘Ukraine. Events of 2017’, https://www.hrw.org/worldreport/2018/country-chapters/ukraine [2018-06-20].
Huntington, S. P., ‘Democracy’s Third Wave’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 2, no. 2, Spring 1991, pp. 12-34.
Huntington, S. P., The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991.
Jarábik, B. and M. Minakov, ‘The Consolidation of Power in Ukraine: What It Means for the West’, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 19 September 2016, http://carnegieendowment.org/2016/09/19/consolidationof-power-in-ukraine-what-it-means-for-west-pub-64623 [2018-08-30].
Jarábik, B. and T. de Waal, ‘Ukraine Reform Monitor: March 2018’, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , 27 March 2018, https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/03/27/ukraine-reform-monitor-march-2018-pub-75909 [2018-08-27].
Koval, D., ‘Forbidden Likes and Shares – Poroshenko’s Ban of Russian Social Networks’, Democracy Reporting International, 17 August 2017, https://democracy-reporting.org/forbidden-likes-and-shares-poroshenkos-banof-russian-social-networks/ [2018-08-29].
Krastev, I., ‘Eastern Europe’s Illiberal Revolution. The Long Road to Democratic Decline’, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2018 Issue, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/hungary/2018-04-16/eastern-europes-illiberal-revolution[2018-09-09].
Levitsky, S. and L. Way, Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Linz, J. J. and A. C. Stepan, ‘Toward Consolidated Democracies’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 7, no. 2, April 1996, pp. 14-33.
Matsievskiy, Y. V., [Мациевский, Ю. В.], ‘В ловушке гибридности: политический режим в Украине после революции 2014 года’, Polis. Political Studies, no. 1, 2018, pp. 96-115.
Matsiievskyi, Y. V., [Мацієвський, Ю. В.], У пастці гібридності: зиґзаґи трансформацій політичного режиму в Україні (1991-2014) [In the trap of hybridity: zigzags of the transformations of the political regime in Ukraine (1991-2014)], Чернівці [Chernivtsi]: Книги – XXI, 2016.
McFaul, M., ‘The Fourth Wave of Democracy and Dictatorship: Noncooperative Transitions in the Postcommunist World’, World Politics, vol. 54, no. 2, 2002, pp. 212-244.
Merkel, W., ‘Embedded and Defective Democracies’, Democratization, vol. 11, no. 5, 2004, pp. 33-58.
Minakov, M., [Мінаков, М.], ‘Між владною вертикаллю та ліберальною демократією. Перспективи розвитку політичного режиму в Україні’ [Between power vertical and liberal democracy. The prospects for the development of the political regime in Ukraine], Агора [Agora], no. 19-20, 2017, pp. 9-15.
Minakov, M., ‘Reconstructing the power vertical: the authoritarian threat in Ukraine’, oDR: Russia and Beyond, 29 June 2017, https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/mikhail-minakov/reconstructing-power-verticalauthoritarian-threat-in-ukraine [2018-08-30].
Møller, J. and S.-E. Skaaning, ‘The Third Wave Inside the Numbers’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 24, no. 4, October 2013, pp. 97-109.
O’Donnell, G., ‘Why the Rule of Law Matters’, in: L. Diamond and L. Morlino (eds), Assessing the Quality of Democracy, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005, pp. 3-17.
‘On the Judiciary and Status of Judges’. Law of Ukraine no. 1402-VIII from 2.06.2016, High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, https://vkksu.gov.ua/userfiles/doc/Law_on_Judiciary_and_Status_of_Judges_16%2007%202016_ENG.pdf [2018-06-19].
Parliamentary Assembly. Council of Europe, ‘Resolution 2203 (2018). The progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure (January-December 2017) and the periodic review of the honouring of obligations by Estonia, Greece, Hungary and Ireland’, http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=24493&lang=en [2018-08-30].
Polityuk, P., ‘Ukraine appoints Poroshenko ally with no legal experience as top prosecutor’, REUTERS, 12 May 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/usukraine-parliament-prosecutor/ukraine-appoints-poroshenko-ally-withno-legal-experience-as-top-prosecutor-idUSKCN0Y311A [2018-08-28].
Pozhyvanov, M., [Поживанов, М.], ‘Порошенко стає Януковичем: доведено Freedom House’ [Poroshenko becomes Yanukovych: proved by Freedom House], Facenews, 16 April 2018, https://www.facenews.ua/columns/2018/320439/ [2018-06-25].
Public Organisation “Public auditing” [ГО “Публічний аудит”], ‘Реформа судової системи в Україні від Президента’ [The reform of the judicial system in Ukraine from the President], Публічний аудит [Public auditing], http://publicaudit.com.ua/reports-on-audit/reforma-sudovoyi-systemy-v-ukrayini-vid-prezydenta/ [2018-06-13].
Rochelle, S. and J. Loschky, ‘Confidence in Judicial Systems Varies Worldwide’, Gallup, 22 October 2014, https://news.gallup.com/poll/178757/confidence-judicial-systems-varies-worldwide.aspx [2018-08-30].
Schedler, А., ‘The Menu of Manipulation’, Journal of Democracy, vol. 13, no. 2, April 2002, pp. 36-50.
Schedler, A. (ed.), Electoral Authoritarianism: the Dynamics of Unfree Competition, Boulder, Colo: Lynne Rienner, 2006.
Schenkkan, N., ‘Nations in Transit 2018: Confronting Illiberalism’, in: Nations in Transit 2018, [Washington]: Freedom House, [2018], pp. 1-5. Schwab, K. (ed.), The Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, [Geneva]: World Economic Forum, [2017].
Schwarz, R., ‘Democracy under Pressure: Polarization and Repression Are Increasing Worldwide’, Bertelsmann Stiftung, 22 March 2018, https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/topics/aktuelle-meldungen/2018/maerz/democracy-under-pressure-polarization-and-repression-are-increasingworldwide/[2018-06-25].
Tóth, C., ‘Full text of Viktor Orbán’s speech at Băile Tuşnad (Tusnádfürdő) of 26 July 2014’, The Budapest Beacon, 29 July 2014, https://budapestbeacon.com/full-text-of-viktor-orbans-speech-at-baile-tusnad-tusnadfurdoof-26-july-2014/ [2018-06-10].
Yesmukhanova, Y., ‘Nations in Transit 2018: Ukraine Country Profile’, Freedom House, https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/2018/ukraine[2018-06-05].
Zadiraka, K., [Задирака, К.], ‘Концентрація влади та згортання демократії: чи готові ми до єдиної України?’ [Concentration of power and curtailment of democracy: are we ready for the united Ukraine?], Commons, 7 September 2017, https://commons.com.ua/en/koncentraciya-vladi/[2018-06-25].
Zuckert, M. P., ‘Hobbes, Locke, and the Problem of the Rule of Law’, in: I. Shapiro (ed.), The Rule of Law, New York, London: New York University Press, 1994.

PDF: Pobierz