Ukraine: existential threat, nation building and state reform
by
Kalman Mizsei
Head of Mission
European Union Advisory Mission on Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine
Since independence Ukraine has failed to build an efficient state with European characteristics. Its economy is overmonopolized, interaction between state officials and business is notoriously corrupt and based on rent seeking. On that basis huge wealth has been created by a few, leading to predatory behaviour towards the state. Civil society has expressed its dissatisfaction with this in two revolutions a decade apart. Russia, harbouring revisionist desires, has capitalized on state building failures and, by violating all possible international norms and treaties, has violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in 2014. During this crisis and conflict, Ukraine’s state weaknesses were fully exposed: weak economy, corrupt and violent law enforcement agencies and weak loyalty to the state by its employees.
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 5:30 P.M. / MB 203
CEU adjunct professor Kálmán Mizsei is currently Head of Mission of the European Union Advisory Mission on Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine. His former positions included Vice president for economic programs at the East-West Institute in New York City, Director of AIG Global Investment Group for Central and Eastern Europe, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS.
Download the lecture poster here.
