Interview with Nona Mikhelidze
It has been several years now that the world seems out of order on many levels. The global order true for 1989 is not true for today. Climate change, the pandemic, the Russian war against Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and several conflicts in Africa put liberal Western democracy to the test.
When it comes to the obstacles the EU is facing in present times, how would you judge the discussion around the accession of Ukraine?
To initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine was a historical decision, especially as the monumental choice has taken place under unprecedented circumstances. Ukraine is facing the challenge of integration amid a large-scale Russian invasion, marked by the loss of thousands of lives—both military and civilian—and the devastation of the nation's infrastructure. Yet, amid this turmoil, Ukrainian society has demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination.
When we speak about said determination and resilience, we oftentimes refer to the Ukrainian people as the defendants of European values and democracy. Would you agree?
Since 2014, the beginning of the war, Ukraine has embarked on a path of transformation characterized by significant reforms and institutional changes. These include strengthening political competition through the expansion of parliamentary powers; decentralizing finances and administrative territories to stimulate regional development and increase political competition; implementing civil service reforms, as well as creating anti-corruption bodies to combat political corruption; introducing public funding for political parties to reduce dependence on oligarchic capital; introducing an electronic declaration system to curb political corruption by promoting transparency; adopting a proportional representation electoral system with preferential voting to improve fairness.
You can find the full interview in the download below.
Credits:
Interview by Amélie Baasner
Picture by Massimiliano Sticca
Graphic by Eleonora Salerno