КОНТРОВЕРСІЙНІСТЬ ПРОЦЕСУ ДЕЦЕНТРАЛІЗАЦІЇ ВЛАДИ НА СУМЩИНІ: ПОЛІТИКО-ІНСТИТУЦІЙНИЙ ВИМІР

Abstract

Since 2014 there has been a reform of power decentralization in Ukraine. The work experience and successful practices of already operating United Territorial Communities (UTCs) create the conditions for intensifying the reform processes with the broad involvement of residents, NGOs and local businesses. A side effect of the decentralization reform, which to some extent offset its success in the Sumy region, was the conflict between the Sumy Regional Council and the Sumy City Council, which began in late 2018 and became significantly exacerbated in 2019. The conflict has to do with the re-registration of regional communal property enterprises outside the territory of the regional center. According to Sumy City Hall, the initiator of such re-registration was the Regional Council. The City Hall noted that because of this, the city budget was losing significant amounts of taxes, which would now be paid into local budgets of settlements of the region. In the confrontation between the Sumy Regional Council and the Sumy City Council, the use of an arsenal of dirty political technologies was observed. In particular, patients with diabetes and diabetes mellitus became hostages of confrontation between the Sumy Regional Council and the Sumy City Council. This confrontation partly caused the situation of insufficient supply of patients with insulin drugs in the city of Sumy in spring and summer 2019. In August 2019, the situation around the Sumy Regional Council enterprises, located in the city of Sumy, but re-registered in the districts of the region, intensified. Since, from the point of view of the representatives of the Sumy City Council, the city budget did not receive taxes from the enterprises that were legally transferred from the city to the districts of the region, the City Council is suing the Sumy Regional Council. In fact, such a situation does not contribute to socio-political stability in the region, since there is a risk of public outrage caused by public splitoff by the authorities: residents of a large city (regional center) oppose residents of villages and towns in the region. Fighting for budgetary funds between governmental institutions can provoke deep societal splitoff between residents of villages and cities in the region. As Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine is based on creating and deepening social splitoffs, this situation could potentially be used by Russia in destructive informational technologies against the Sumy region with which it borders. In addition, because of the confrontation between the two legitimate structures on the regional level, there is a risk of a catastrophic decline in the level of public confidence to government institutions in general. This will potentially shape the image of the state in the eyes of the population as weak and unable to protect its citizens in times of crisis. Due to the decrease in the amount of tax revenues to Sumy budget, there may be a situation when underfunded or suspended social programs and payments to the city residents will significantly undermine the authority of the central government. The worst part is that these confrontation situations offset the success of the decentralization reform. Keywords: decentralization, united territorial community (UTC), power, Sumy region, Sumy Regional Council, Sumy City Council, conflict, political institutions.