EVOLUTION OF DECENTRALIZATION REFORM IN MODERN POLITICAL PRACTICE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the process of reforming local self-government bodies in the context of decentralization. The author analyzes the concepts, historical stages of formation of decentralization in Ukraine, models, administrative formation of territorial units in the conditions of decentralization processes, legislative principles of regulation of the process of reforming local self-government bodies. Historically, the Ukrainian state has undergone enough evolutionary stages to build a decentralized country. In the period of recent history, the fundamental principles of the development and implementation of decentralization of local self-government were laid, based on the experience of Western European countries. On the basis of the analysis of the degree of elaboration of the normative- legal provision of reforming the constitutional foundations of local self-government, taking into account the conformity of the adopted legislative acts with the standards and requirements of the EU, the process of implementing Ukraine‟s decentralization process. The article presents relevant material and highlights the main achievements and prospects of decentralization. The positive dynamics of reform implementation since 2014 have been analyzed and noted. The author concludes that Ukraine has all the prerequisites and legislative initiatives to put this reform into practice since the political and reflexive events of 2005, but due to bureaucratic obstacles we have received a country with weak political elite incapable  of volitional administrative decisions, with low level of political participation of citizens and almost absent institute of civil society, which, in turn, naturally led to the events of 2014 and further deployment of the separatist movement on the territory of Ukraine. Summarizing, the author emphasizes the dynamism of implementation and substantiates the need to continue the decentralization reform in Ukraine. The practice of implementing decentralization of power in many countries of the world shows the ambiguity of the results of the reforms, which can be both positive and negative. Both successful and unsuccessful implementation of decentralization reforms depend on a number of subjective and objective factors. Foreign experience confirms that even in successful political, economic, and social terms, countries (France, United Kingdom, Poland) experienced great challenges in the process of decentralization of power. In the minds of a deep political, economic and social crisis, this factor should be taken into account in advance to prevent the potential negative effects of decentralization.