COUNTRIES OF THE BLACK SEA REGION AND EUROPEAN SECURITY

Boris PARAKHONSKIY

---

Boris Parakhonskiy, D.Sc. (Philos.), independent political expert (Kiev, Ukraine)

---

The sociopolitical development of the post-Soviet countries of the Black Sea Region is marked by a special kind of intrigue. The initiators of Gorbachev’s democratization were totally unprepared for its outcome. No one could have imagined it would end in the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of newly independent states on its territory, whereby states expounding authoritarian regimes with the low political culture characteristic of many post-colonial communities. Democratic reform was not a particularly high priority for these states. It was more important to reinforce state independence, create solid power structures, acquire a cushy spot on the international arena, and so on. Based on Poland’s experience during the Pilsudskiy era, on Kemalist Turkey, on Antonescu’s rule in Rumania, etc., the most expedient form of government for the leaders of these countries to achieve their goals appeared to be the authoritarian regime.

But Russia, with its aim to reintegrate the former Soviet republics into something akin to the former Union, began to clearly dominate in this new semi-closed community of authoritarian post-Soviet states, formally united by the abbreviation CIS. And authoritarian rulers of weaker states usually prefer to reinforce their essentially clannish and………………….

---

Please fill subscription form to obtain full text of this jounal