The struggle for good governance in Eastern Europe : edited by Michael Emerson, Denis Cenua, Tamara Kovziridze, and Veronika Movchan ; contributors: Steven Blockmans, Denis Cenuşa, Michael Emerson [und 16 weitere

At a time when many regions of the world, including Europe, see a resurgence of authoritarianism, three countries of Eastern Europe – Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova – are struggling to counter this trend with the aim of developing European-style democracies in the framework of their Association Agreements with the European Union. This book offers an in-depth analysis of this challenge, with expert contributions on the workings of these countries’ democratic and judicial institutions, their anti-corruption policies and the hazards they must overcome, including the strong presence of oligarchs. Other themes include how these countries are adapting to their precarious geo-political positioning between the EU and Russia and how the quality of their political and economic governance compares with the Balkan states. The book complements three landmark Handbooks (now in their 2nd edition and also published by Rowman & Littlefield International) explaining the progress achieved in implementing the comprehensive Association Agreements that each of these countries has entered into with the EU. The struggle to advance good democratic governance in these close neighbours of the EU represents a test case of the highest strategic significance for both the EU and the three states themselves. For the most part, the jury is still out over its outcome. The Struggle For Good Governance In Eastern Europe 1 CONTENTS 6 Preface 10 The Essence of the Struggle 12 1. Towards becoming European-style Democracies 20 Introduction 20 Where do the three countries stand? 23 How democracy evolved: Parallel trajectories 24 Ethnic, regional and cultural conflicts and divisions 28 General constitutional systems 32 Government performance and legitimacy 37 Political parties and party systems 42 Revolutionary and rule-based forms of political competition 48 Media, civil society, media, popular movements, social forces, religious groups 52 External policies and influences 57 Concluding remarks 60 References 62 2. Oligarchs as Key Obstacles to Reform 66 Introduction 66 Who are the oligarchs? 67 Oligarchic portfolios 70 The disadvantages of oligarchy 78 How to respond to the challenges posed by oligarchs? 91 Conclusions 94 References 95 3. Integrity and Judicial Reform on Trial 98 Introduction 98 Constitutional and institutional reform 102 Constitutional and institutional reform in Ukraine 108 Constitutional and institutional reform in Moldova 115 Fighting corruption in the justice sector 120 Judicial implementation of the DCFTA 133 Conclusions 139 References 143 4. Anti-Corruption Policies 146 Introduction 146 Strategic and overarching aspects 149 Institutional issues 154 Specific legal mechanisms 163 Broader policy issues 175 Conclusions 184 References 187 5. Can greater gender equality in senior roles help reduce corruption? 188 Introduction 188 Definition of "corruption" 189 Definition of "women in power" 190 Linkages between women and corruption 192 Proposed areas of further research and methodology 202 References 210 6. Incomplete Hegemonies, Hybrid Neighbours: Identity games and policy tools 214 Introduction 214 Hybridity in the common neighbourhood 218 Hybrid hegemonies: The EU and Russia 224 Options and scenarios 239 References 248 7. Political and Economic Governance in the Balkans vs Eastern Europe 254 Introduction 254 Political governance 256 Economic development and governance 266 Comprehensive comparisons and policy implications 277 References 282 Annex A - Methodologies 284 8. Demystifying the Association Agreements 288 Step change: From the ENP to DCFTA 290 Why the AA-DCFTA? 292 Understanding the agreements 295 Challenges of implementation 302 References 306 About the Contributors 310 The book develops conclusions and recommendations addressed to both the EU and the three states on how to inject renewed momentum into their ‘Europeanisation’ process.