Democracy is facing numerous challenges and threats, and the processes of democratic transformation occur rather difficultly. Another test for Ukrainian and European democracy arose in the form of the processes associated with peaceful counteraction to the usurpation of State power in Ukraine (in late 2013 and early 2014), as well as with events relating to the imitation of such forms of democracy as referendum and elections aimed at justifying the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of a part of Donbass.

There is an urgent need to clarify the factors which entailed the slowdown in the reinstation of democracy and democratic procedures after the Revolution of Dignity, as well as the new challenges faced by Ukrainian democracy.

The concept of “democracy able to defend itself” has not been fully implemented in Ukraine which has significant territorial losses. The sluggish and indecisive response of European institutions, politicians and diplomats to the cynical violation of the fundamental principles of democracy and democratic procedures during the unconstitutional referendum in Crimea, in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in 2014 also disoriented the world community, the Ukrainian public and officials. The new challenges and threats have arisen to rule of the people and democracy both in Ukraine and in many other states, namely, enhancement of populism and demagogy and spread of post-truth as interrelated processes ensuing from intensification of the circulation of deliberately distorted and intentionally garbled information making it possible to artificially mislead the public and disorient public opinion which is an important condition for the efficient functioning of the institutions of democracy and rule of the people.

Ensuring a new quality of political debate on a wide range of key issues is a prerequisite for the establishment of rule of the people and efficient democracy. There is a need to introduce new forms of influence on how public opinion is formed on both sides of the demarcation line as one of the major conditions for reinstating the full implementation of democratic rights and freedoms and for restoring democratic governance in the temporarily occupied territories and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Bibliography

Edited and translated books

1. Daimond L, ‘Vyznachennia ta rozvytok demokratii’ [‘Definition and Development of Democracy’] v U poshukakh pravylnoi paradyhmy: Kontseptualni perspektyvy postkomunistychnoho perekhodu u krainakh Skhidnoi Yevropy [In Search for a Proper Paradigm: Conceptual Perspectives of Post-Communist Transition in Eastern Europe] (per z anhl, Huzina D red, Perlin Dzh hol red serii i avtor peredm, Kokorska O nauk red, Ai Bi 2003) (in Ukrainian).

2. Hutman E, ‘Typy i paradoksy demokratii’ [‘Types and Paradoxes of Democracy’] v Demokratiia: аntolohiia [Democracy: An Anthology] (Protsenko O uporiad, Smoloskyp 2005) (in Ukrainian).

3. Kolisnyk V, ‘Vyznachalni chynnyky demokratychnoi transformatsii derzhavnoi vlady v Ukraini’ [‘Determining Factors of Democratic Transformation of State Power in Ukraine’] v Demokratychni zasady orhanizatsii i funktsionuvannia vyshchykh orhaniv derzhavnoi vlady Ukrainy [Democratic Foundations of Organization and Functioning of the Supreme Bodies of Ukraine’s State Power] (Barabash Yu zah red, Pravo 2013) (in Ukrainian).

4. Pshevorskyi A, ‘Perekhody do demokratii: liberalizatsiia i demokratyzatsiia’ [‘Transitions to Democracy: Liberalization and Democratization’] v Demokratiia: аntolohiia [Democracy: An Anthology] (Protsenko O uporiad, Smoloskyp 2005) (in Ukrainian).

5. Rozanvalon P, Demokratychna lehitymnist. Bezstoronnist, refleksyvnist, nablyzhenist [Democratic Legitimacy. Impartiality, Reflexivity, Approximation] (Marichev Ye per z fr, Kyievo-Mohylianska akademiia 2009) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

6. ‘Monitorynh’2018: osnovni tendentsii zmin hromadskoi dumky’ [‘Monitoring’ 2018: Major Trends in the Change of Public Opinion’] (Fond “Demokratychni initsiatyvy” im. Ilka Kucheriva, 21.12.2018) <https://dif.org.ua/article/monitoring2018-osnovnitendentsii-zmin-gromadskoi-dumki> (accessed: 15.07.2019) (in Ukrainian).

7. ‘Politychna sytuatsiia ta elektoralni oriientatsii naselennia Ukrainy: dynamika ta prohnozy’ [‘Political Situation and Electoral Orientations of the Population of Ukraine: Dynamics and Forecasts’] (Ukrainskyi instytut sotsialnykh doslidzhen imeni O. Yaremenka) <http://www.uisr.org.ua/img/upload/files/2019%2001%2003%20pressreliz.pdf> (accessed: 15.07.2019) (in Ukrainian).

8. ‘V OBSIe deputat z Rosii zaiavyla, shcho z kosmosu bachyla, yak hynut liudy na Donbasi’ [‘In the OSCE, the Deputy from Russia Said that She Saw from the Space How People Die in the Donbass’] (UNIAN, 8.07.2019) <https://www.unian.ua/politics/10610163-vobsye-deputat-z-rosiji-zayavila-shcho-z-kosmosu-bachila-yak-ginut-lyudi-na-donbasi.html> (accessed: 15.07.2019) (in Ukrainian).

9. Kolisnyk V, ‘Mif pro “dyktatorski” povnovazhennia hlavy Ukrainskoi derzhavy’ [‘The Myth about the “Dictatorial” Powers of the Head of the Ukrainian State’] (Prava Liudyny v Ukraini. Informatsiinyi portal Kharkivskoi pravozakhysnoi hrupy, 15.04.2014) <http://khpg.org/index.php?id=1397584046> (accessed: 15.07.2019) (in Ukrainian).