Choosing the civilisational path of modern society in post-Soviet countries based on European values of quality of life
Keywords:
war, democracy, socio-cultural aspects, changes in societyAbstract
European values, such as democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, equality, and social justice, are considered key components of the quality of life. The study of the impact of these values on society and their acceptability in post-Soviet countries is relevant today and is of immense importance for their future development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the basic European values, their perception, and application in post-Soviet countries. Methods: analysis, comparison, generalisation. The study analysed the extent to which post-Soviet countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan adhere to European quality of life values. This analysis included indicators on freedom, democracy, human rights, equality, and other aspects. The study also examines aspects of attitudes towards European values in the post-Soviet countries, with a detailed consideration of Ukraine as a non-EU country and the Baltic states that are members of the European Union. This study showed a tendency to adhere to European values in Ukraine and a high indicator of the civilisation path of modern society in the countries that are members of the European Union. However, for Ukraine, the issue of adhering to European values of quality of life is complicated by the war, which as of 2023 is still ongoing in the country. The findings of this study may be useful for international organisations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and others in planning and implementing programmes for the development and support of democracy in post-Soviet countries
References
Bihunyak, A. (2022). Civilization vectors of axiological changes in modern Ukrainian society: Justification of the problem. Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University Journal. Philosophical Sciences, 2(92), 37-47. doi: 10.35433/PhilosophicalSciences.2(92).2022.37-47.
Collier, S.J. (2011). Post-Soviet social: Neoliberalism, social modernity, biopolitics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Delcour, L. (2016). Shaping the post-Soviet Space? EU policies and approaches to region-building. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315608846.
Document of the European Union No. 22014A0830(01) “Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the One Part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the Other Part”. (2014, August). Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2014.260.01.0004.01.ENG.
Ferraro Jr, V.G. (2021). Democratization in post-socialist states: An overview of the literature on political transition in Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. In A. Segrillo (Ed.), Russia and Russians in different contexts (pp. 115-134). São Paulo: FFLCH/USP.
Freedom House. (2022). Azerbaijan. Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/country/azerbaijan/freedom-world/2022.
Georgia’s strategic culture: European values and NATO or transformation into a Kremlin satellite?. (2019). Retrieved from https://adastra.org.ua/blog/strategichna-kultura-gruziyi-yevropejski-cinnosti-i-nato-chi-peretvorennya-na-satelita-kremlya.
Human Rights Watch. (2021a). Kazakhstan. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/kazakhstan.
Human Rights Watch. (2021b). Turkmenistan. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/turkmenistan.
Human Rights Watch. (2021c). Russia. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/russia.
Human Rights Watch. (2021d). Belarus. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/belarus.
Isaacs, R., & Polese, A. (2016). Nation-building and identity in the post-Soviet space: New tools and approaches. London&NY: Routledge.
Kalakura, Ya., & Yuriy, M. (2014). The path to Europe as a civilisational choice of Ukraine. Ukraine-Europe-World. International Collection of Scientific Papers. Series: History, International Relations, 14, 133-141.
Kunytsky, M. (2020). Factors of democracy establishment and development in post-Soviet countries: An analytical study. In Social and humanitarian technologies: Philosophical and educational aspect (pp. 78-89). Cherkasy: PIE E.I. Hordienko.
Kuruppu, C., Maksymchuk, O., & Adhikari, P. (2023). Exploring elitisation of participatory budgeting in a post-Soviet democracy: Evidence from a Ukrainian municipality. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 13(3), 648-665. doi: 10.1108/JAEE-10-2018-0118.
Kyrgyz Republic: 12th EU-Kyrgyz Republic human rights dialogue takes place. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/kyrgyz-republic-12th-eu-kyrgyz-republic-human-rights-dialogue-takes-place_en.
Lazhykha, М. (2022). Ukraine’s European civilisational choice. Actual Problems of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine: Materials of the 19th Scientific and Practical Conference, 134-135. Retrieved from https://ir.nmu.org.ua/handle/123456789/163332.
Lebediuk, V.M. (2014). Transformation of party systems in post-Soviet countries. Scientific Journal of M.P. Dragomanov National Pedagogical University, 22, 222-229.
Luehrmann, S. (2017). Soviet atheism and its aftermath. In Ph. Zuckerman, & J. Shook (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of secularism (pp. 231-248). New York: Oxford University Press.
Makoelle, T.M., & Somerton, M. (2021). Inclusive education in a post-Soviet context: A case of Kazakhstan. Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-65543-3.
Miller, A.H., Reisinger, W.M., & Hesli, V. (2019). Public opinion and regime change: The new politics of post-Soviet societies. London: Routledge.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. (2016). Membership. Retrieved from https://urm.lt/default/en/foreign-policy/lithuania-in-the-region-and-the-world/lithuania-member-of-the-european-union/membership.
Panaro, A.V. (2022). Determinants of health and education equality: Evidence from post-Soviet states. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 42(1/2), 124-140. doi: 10.1108/IJSSP-07-2021-0177.
Pelkmans, M. (2014). Paradoxes of religious freedom and repression in (post-)Soviet contexts. Journal of Law and Religion, 29(3), 436-446. doi: 10.1017/jlr.2014.23.
Republic of Estonia Government Office. (2022). Estonian residents support for European Union is at a record high. Retrieved from https://www.riigikantselei.ee/en/news/estonian-residents-support-european-union-record-high.
Rosca, D. (2022). The post-Soviet Moldovan capitalism: Between oligarchic political economy and reciprocity. Post-Communist Economies, 34(1), 52-70.
State Chancellery of Latvia. (2019). The diligent teenager: Latvia’s 15 years in the European Union. Retrieved from https://www.mk.gov.lv/en/media/8834/download.
The Brussels Times. (2023). A new phase in the Uzbekistan-EU partnership. Retrieved from https://www.brusselstimes.com/531849/a-new-phase-in-the-uzbekistan-eu-partnership.
The European Union and Tajikistan. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.eeas.europa.eu/tajikistan/european-union-and-tajikistan_en?s=228.
The road to the EU: How Ukraine’s European integration is progressing. (2023). Retrieved from https://visitukraine.today/uk/blog/2132/slyax-do-jes-yak-prosuvajetsya-jevrointegraciya-ukraini.
Tsapko, O.M. (2019). The problem of a civilized choice of post-Soviet countries in Central Asia in a globalized world. In O.V. Zernetska (Ed.) Evolution of values in the era of globalisation: A collection of scientific papers (pp. 130-139). Kyiv: Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
U.S. Embassy in Armenia. (2022). Armenia human rights report. Retrieved from https://am.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/92/hrr2023.pdf.
Van Wijk, S., Lemke, F., & Draheim, D. (2020). On the narratives of e-government: A comparison of the democratic and technocratic approach in post-Soviet states. In A. Chugunov, I. Khodachek, Y. Misnikov, & D. Trutnev (Eds.), International conference on electronic governance and open society: Challenges in Eurasia (pp. 3-16). Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-67238-6_1.
Vegesh, M., & Kopolovets, R. (2020). Democratic transit in the countries of the post-Soviet space: Genesis, models, stages. Visnuk of the Lviv University. Series Philosophical-Political Studies, 33, 94-100. doi: 10.30970/PPS.2020.33.12.
What you need to know about the Russian and Ukrainian conflict. (2023). Retrieved from https://giveuao.org/2023/05/24/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-russian-and-ukrainian-conflict/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_5unBhCMARIsACZyzS0e8WdaCZbph5qkoovKNBudX68l3-55YKXHYxkARAjL0E8juXdnEvUaAuBbEALw_wcB.
Wilson, S. (2012). Courts, police, and journalists: Overlooked support for press freedom in post-Soviet authoritarian states. Problems of Post-Communism, 59(5), 6-17.
