Регіональні еліти Донеччини та Луганщини після революції гідності та під час російсько-української війни

Abstract

The aim of the study is to clarify the qualitative transformations of the regional elite, which took place under the influence of the Revolution of Dignity and the Ukrainian-Russian war, in the context of the strategy of de-occupation of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In the Donetsk region, the electoral preferences of the population were shaped by the preferences of local elites, while the preferences of local elites were shaped by the preferences of local businesses, creating a kind of closed political and economic circle. In 2014, after the overthrow of the Yanukovych regime, the regional elites of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were out of action, inactive because they were afraid to take responsibility for decision-making. Thus, the transformation of the elites took place in a revolutionary way, completely changing the ruling elite to the opposition. At the same time, the transformation of the elite was due to its value reorientation, in particular at the levels of rethinking domestic and foreign policy. The theme of the war and its end was "monetized" in the political struggle of both national and regional elites. In 2015, the renewal of the regional and local elite took place neither quantitatively nor qualitatively, its circulation took place in the form of the rebranding of the Party of Regions. At the same time, the former monopoly of the "regionals" was destroyed in this election. The local elections of 2020, which took place after the reboot of the political system of Ukraine in 2019, were marked by new trends. "Opposition Platform - For Life (OPZZH)" was forced to compete with new political actors, including mayors. Regional elites are involved in solving the problems of the Russian-Ukrainian war, earning, on the one hand, political dividends and, on the other hand, having financial and business interests in the region, trying to maintain a monopoly on influence. The main political players (OPZZH, OP) during 2015-2020 did not actually change their pro-Russian vision of restoring Ukraine's state sovereignty through the Minsk process, the special status of Donbas, direct talks with representatives of the occupation administrations. Pro-Ukrainian representatives of regional elites, promoting their initiatives to improve the legal framework for SDDLR, IDP rights, the economic component of the region, solve both current practical problems and create a theoretical and practical basis for future de-occupation and restoration of statehood in the temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, each of them has its own vision and promotes its own initiatives in a certain area, which is why there is no single vision of the strategy of de-occupation and reintegration. Keywords: elite, political elite, regional elite, Russian-Ukrainian war, temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, de-occupation.