Objectives

This project aims to assist the process of democratic transformation and European integration in Ukraine by using V4 experience in changing public attitudes towards democratic values and in the confidence of the society in public institutions in the 1990 - 2013 time-frame. It aims to compare this data with the situation in Ukraine through latitudinal and longitudinal investigation and an opinion poll, using a comprehensive representative survey, and to draw valuable recommendations.

Background 

The ICDT has a wide-range of experience in Ukraine and the EAP region, having had a key role in the establishment of the Dniester/Nistru Euroregion, covering both Ukrainian and Moldovan territories. ICDT implemented the projects: Capacity Building of the Dniester/Nistru Euro-region” which supported the coordination of the Euroregion; and “Sharing the Experiences of Visegrad Cooperation in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighborhood Countries”, which strengthened the basis of democracy and regional cooperation.

Project Description

The project will identify the differences between the Visegrad countries and Ukraine by analyzing the changes within their political changes, by scrutinizing the acceptance of democratic values and the confidence of the society with regards to public institutions’ changes observed in the V4 countries between 1990 and 2013. GFK, one of the largest research companies in the world, will provide us with their long-established expertise for an efficient compilation and analysis of the data. Finally, we will compare this data with the current situation in Ukraine and draw recommendations on the most appropriate country-specific ways to efficiently pursue democratic transition based on the experience and lessons learned of the V4 countries. The analysis will combine cross sectional and longitudinal investigation, using time series explore whether there are trends in development of new democracies.

The project commences with the exploration of available data sources for secondary analysis. It will be followed by an on-site kick-off session that prepares the way for organizing webinars. Furthermore, a rigorous division of analytic work among project participants will be set. There will be 3 webinars, each focusing on the findings of the topics above. Based on that analysis, an opinion poll will be carried out in Ukraine, using a comprehensive representative survey (with 1.000 respondent aged 18+). A final conference will be held in Budapest where participants will draw up detailed recommendations concerning the development of the V4 countries and Ukrainian democratic consciousness.

The International Centre for Democratic Transition has the honour to cooperate with the following partner organizations in the project:

Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (Kyiv)

Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (Bratislava)

Globalization Institute (Gliwice) 

Institute for Social and Economic Analysis (Prague) 
 

Press materials (Hungarian) 

"Lakossági vélemények a demokráciáról Ukrajnában" - OrientPress Hírügynökség,
17th of November, 2014

"Ukrajna:Egy újabb tömeges tiltakozás szétrobbantaná az országot"  - Népszabadság Online  
18th of December, 2014

The project is supported by the International Visegrad Fund.