Reforming Ukraine: The EU, Ukraine’s Constitution, and Democratic Reform

Tue. December 8th, 2015
Carnegie Europe

Ukraine’s October 25 local elections were relatively peaceful and democratic. Yet the country faces monumental challenges as it strives to build a transparent and accountable democratic governance system—from eroding a deep culture of corruption to keeping Ukraine’s finances in check, all while maintaining a fragile ceasefire agreement with Russian-backed rebels in the country’s east.

Carnegie Europe convened a closed, half-day workshop to assess the progress of reforms in Ukraine and discuss the EU’s role in supporting the country’s constitutional reform and democratic institution building.

Ukrainian experts Mikhail Minakov, a professor, political analyst, and consultant, and Yuriy Dzhygyr, an economist and director of the Kyiv-based think tank FISCOid, kick-started two working sessions with a briefing from Ukraine. Workshop discussions included analysis from Carnegie Europe scholars Gwendolyn Sasse and Richard Youngs. Balázs Jarábik, nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment, and Jan Techau, director of Carnegie Europe, moderated.

Yuriy Dzhygyr

Yuriy Dzhygyr is an economist and the director of the Kyiv-based think tank FISCOid.

Balázs Jarábik

Balázs Jarábik is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Mikhail Minakov

Mikhail Minakov is a professor, political analyst, and consultant.

Gwendolyn Sasse

Gwendolyn Sasse is a nonresident scholar at Carnegie Europe.

Jan Techau

Jan Techau is the director of Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs

Richard Youngs is senior associate at Carnegie Europe.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Yuriy Dzhygyr

Balázs Jarábik

Nonresident Scholar, Russia and Eurasia Program

Jarábik was a nonresident scholar focusing on Eastern and Central Europe with particular focus on Ukraine.

Gwendolyn Sasse

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Sasse is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe. Her research focuses on Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Ukrainian politics and society, EU enlargement, and comparative democratization.

Jan Techau

Director , Carnegie Europe

Techau was the director of Carnegie Europe, the European center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Techau works on EU integration and foreign policy, transatlantic affairs, and German foreign and security policy.

Richard Youngs

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Youngs is a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, based at Carnegie Europe. He works on EU foreign policy and on issues of international democracy.