The Substance of the EU Democracy Promotion in Ukraine: Is Embedded Democracy the Right Concept?

Maryna Rabinovych

doi:10.22151/politikon.30.1

Authors

Maryna Rabinovych Odessa National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.30.1

Keywords:

European Union, democracy promotion, democracy model, embedded democracy, democratization, Ukraine

Abstract

Despite the EU’s experience in the field of democracy promotion, a question remains whether the EU seeks to promote a specific democratic model. The paper aims to determine whether the embedded democracy is the right concept to address the substance of the EU democracy promotion, based on the case of the EU’s enhanced democracy promotion efforts following the Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine. The paper starts with exploring different approaches to the substance of the EU democracy promotion. Then, the scope of the concept “embedded democracy” is addressed with a special emphasis on its application within the field of the EU democracy promotion. The central part of the paper concentrates on the substantial analysis of the EU democratization efforts in Ukraine, in light of “embedded democracy”. The findings regarding the applicability of the “embedded democracy” concept to the substance of the EU democracy promotion in Ukraine are formulated. The directions for future research are addressed.

Author Biography

Maryna Rabinovych, Odessa National University

Maryna Rabinovych, 22, originally from Odessa (Ukraine) received her LL.B. degree with Honours from Odessa National University in 2014. In 2014/2015 she successfully completed an LL.M programme “European and European Legal Studies” at the University of Hamburg (co-administered by Europa Kolleg Hamburg). Ms. Rabinovych currently pursues doctoral studies at Odessa National University and works as a legal associate at the NGO “Easy Business” (Kyiv, Ukraine). The working title of her Dissertation is “The conceptualization of the EU rule of law promotion policy in the non-accession context”. Her research interests concern EU integration, external relations of the EU, democracy in the EU and Eastern European Studies.