UKRAINIAN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE OF THE AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT: FRACTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND POLITICAL AND LEGAL VIEWS

Abstract

The article analyzes the steam principles of formation and activity of the highest representative body of the Habsburg Empire – the bicameral parliament. Created on the basis of the «February patent» of 1861, the legislature was not only to regulate general imperial issues, but also to decide the specifics of economic, economic, social development of a particular province. Austrian parliamentarism was characterized primarily by broad liberalism, which manifested itself in the ability of all nationalities of the empire to have their own representation in parliament. It is clear that the election procedure and the number of deputies delegating individual peoples differed significantly, which in the case of Ukrainians in Galicia and Bukovina did not allow them to compete effectively with Poles and Romanians, respectively, who were also representatives of these provinces, and convinced the imperial authorities that they are the ones who enjoy the greatest support of the local population. The Ukrainian faction of the Reichstag was called the Ukrainian Parliamentary Representation and was divided into several sections. The main activity of the Ukrainian faction in the Austrian parliament, given that it was dominated by representatives of the popular trend, was the struggle for the autonomy of Eastern Galicia as part of Austria-Hungary. It should be noted that Ukrainian deputies in the Austrian Parliament have shown themselves to be qualified parliamentarians. This is confirmed by the fact that on February 22, 1910, Yu. Romanchuk was elected Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Austrian Parliament. It was established that Austrian constitutionalism not only guaranteed the introduction of the institutions of parliamentarism, but also guaranteed the peoples of the monarchy the opportunity to be elected to the highest representative body of the country. Ukrainians in Galicia and Bukovina actively participated in parliamentary activities and, despite the small number of representatives, were able to form their own faction and actively defend the socio-economic, political and cultural aspirations of Ukrainians.