PROBLEMS AND RISKS OF DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER IN UKRAINE: REVIEW OF EXPERT OPINION

Abstract

Considered opinions of the expert community of Ukraine regarding threats and risks on the way to implementing the reform of power decentralization in Ukraine. The decentralization of power and the formation of united territorial communities as the main subjects of local self-government, as well as the creation of prerequisites for their self-sufficient and economically efficient development, are unanimously recognized by domestic experts as the main vector of the modern development of the state-building system of Ukraine. Decentralization of power should become an effective tool for socio-economic development of territories, thanks to the efforts of independence of local self-government and increasing its activity, strengthening of local democracy. The inevitability of problems and risks of decentralization of power, which are objectively determined by the conditions affecting decentralization in Ukraine, is asserted. Selected problems and risks of a political, economic, socio-demographic, ecological, spatial and psychological nature. Experts separately point out the risk of using the decentralization policy for further disintegration of Ukraine in conditions of armed aggression by the Russian Federation. At the same time, the policy of decentralization in Ukraine can become an attractive alternative to Russian versions of the federalization of Ukraine.