Ukraine

With historical legacies of Russian, Polish-Lithuanian and Austro-Hungarian empires, Ukraine has had a complex transition to democracy and independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All the social contracts that existed in Ukraine since 1991 revolved around three main systemic conflicts (post-Soviet vs. national-patriotic or colonial vs. independent state, oligarchic vs. public interest, pro-Russian vs. pro-Western orientation) and were marked by the permanent balances between principal stakeholders as well as by constant Russian intervention, and invasion starting from 2014. After Ukraine’s victory, the country will have to renegotiate its social contract in terms of integration of refugees and IDPs, rehabilitation of veterans, relations to the EU and NATO, fighting corruption, and reforms in education, health and institutions.