Disponibil: https://air.unimi.it/retrieve/dfa8b9a8-ea05-748b-e053-3a05fe0a3a96/phd_unimi_R11774.pdf
This thesis aims to shine a light on an overlooked region and analyze the challenges the three countries face in their political and economic transition and attempts at democratic consolidation, while nurturing an ambition to return to Europe as full members of the European family of nations. Their tumultuous past and turbulent present offers a promising case study of the struggle for democracy in a geopolitically contested region
There is a growing disconnect between Europeanization and democratization in the immediate neighborhood of the European Union. Often overlooked by euro-centric academic research, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are a litmus test for the challenges facing democratic consolidation in a geopolitically contested region.
The study dissects the relationship between Europeanization and Democratization processes in the three countries; scrutinizes the internal and external challenges to democratic consolidation and critically assesses the effectiveness of EU’s normative power projection in the region. In the process, the author challenges Huntington’s concept of ‘snowballing’, disconfirming his one directional democratic cascade theory in the specific condition of the countries comprising the case study. The unique condition of these countries is epitomized by the European Union’s facilitation of democracy, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Russia’s facilitation of the status quo, while also encouraging undemocratic practices.
This challenges the neofunctionalist democratic spillover expectation and accredits a path-dependent neo-institutionalist account of democratization in the region. Moreover, the author finds robust evidence in support of the modernization theory of democracy, while also confirming the negative effects of active geopolitical competition on the battleground countries. The study questions the efficacy of EU’s democracy promotion efforts and argues in favor of anchoring the three countries on the European integration track as an imperative mechanism for boosting the chances of democratic consolidation.
Table of Contents
The Disconnect between Europeanization and Democratization in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
1.1. Conceptualizing Europeanization within and beyond the European Union
1.2. Empirical record of Europeanization in the European Union’s Eastern Frontier
1.3. The Perils of Democratization and Democratic Consolidation in European Union’s Eastern Neighborhood
1.4. Empirical Evidence of Democratic Backsliding in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
Conclusions
2: Judicial Independence and Democratic Backsliding in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
2.1. Conceptualizing Judicial Independence in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
2.2. Case Studies of Judicial Politicization
2.2.1. Ukraine: Yulia Timoshenko Case
2.2.2. Georgia: Mikhail Saakashvili Case
2.2.3. Moldova: Vlad Filat Case
2.2.4. Moldova: Domnica Manole Case
2.3. Assessing Judicial Independence and Justice Reform: Expert Survey Analysis
3: Economic Conditions and Democratic Consolidation in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
3.1. Economic Development and Democratization
3.2. Economic Conditions in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine since Independence
3.2.1. Georgia: an economic overview
3.2.2. Moldova: an economic overview
3.2.3. Ukraine: an economic overview
3.3. Institutional Capacity and Corruption in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
4: Foreign Influence and Democratic Consolidation in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
4.1. Russian Sovereign Democracy Model in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
4.1.1. Russian Hard Power: Military Interventions, Frozen Conflicts and Revolutions
4.1.2. Russian Soft Power: Language, Religion, and Media
4.2. The EU’s Normative Power Projection in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
4.2.1. EU’s Eastern Partnership: Advancing Values or Interests?
4.2.2. EU’s Political Conditionality versus Socialization
4.3. The Effect of Geopolitical Competition between the European Union and Russia on Structural Democratic Reforms in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
5: The Prospects of Democratic Consolidation in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: between EU’s Buffer Zone and Waiting Room
5.1. Implementation of Association Agreements: Opportunities and Challenges
5.2. The Catch-22 of Potemkin Europeanization and Democratization in the Absence of EU Membership Perspective
Annexes
Bibliography
https://tinyurl.com/3u872ctn (18.01.2022)
Postări
