Professor Liudmyla D. Chekalenko/ Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the MFA of Ukraine / European Values – Fundamental Principals of the European Integration
The article examines the system of the European values and analyzes the current political situation in Ukraine.
Fundamental principals of the European integration, also called European values, are well-defined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union adopted on 7 December 2000 in Nice. Among them, the first place is devoted to human dignity, which means the respect of human dignity. Among others are freedom, equality, rule of law, solidarity, as well as protection of human rights.
Fundamental principals are the sole unity that defines the legal status of a person. It is stressed in the document that these principals are based on spiritual, moral and historical heritage of the peoples of Europe (par. 2 of the Charter). The chapters of the Charter are named accordingly. Thus, Chapter I “Dignity” (Art.1-5), besides the right to respect of human dignity, defines the rights and guarantees that provide for dignified existence of a person within the society: the right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of slavery, etc. Article 3 defines the “Right to the integrity of the person”. Chapter II “Freedoms” (Art.6-19) focuses on the fundamental civil and political freedoms, defined in the European Convention of Human Rights – Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms adopted by the Council of Europe on 4 November 1950 (with the amendments introduced by the Protocol # 11 of 11 May 1994 and Protocol 14 of 13 May 2004). Chapter III “Equality” (Art. 20-26) contains provisions focused on the equality before the law, non-discrimination, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, equality between men and women, the rights of the child and of the elderly, as well as integration of persons with disabilities. Chapter IV “Solidarity” (Art.27-38) contains provisions on certain labor rights and some provisions of the European Social Charter of the Council of Europe adopted on 3 May 1996 in Strasbourg, which has already become part of the EU law. Provisions on social rights and principals contain reservations that they are implemented on the conditions provided by the Union law, national legislations and practices.
The main idea of the Charter is that “it places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice”.
However, such division of values also provokes some critical feedback. Thus, an American researcher S. Ghervas is convinced that wishing to reconcile values with often contradictory goals, the dialectical effort of the “humanistic synthesis” lacks clarity and transparency [1].
Modern ideas of the European values that, theoretically, must be close to general human values, have not changed much in comparison with the previous stages of the history of the humanity. However, conditions, in which these values are to be implemented, have changed, as well as the system of international relations has transformed under the influence of the rage of the globalization that is more advanced than the regional reformation
Axiological foundations, in accordance to which in case of classical scenario the state mechanism is to be built up, were defined in ancient times by Ancient Greek philosophers and implemented in Ancient Greek cities-policies. As far as human communities create state and proto-state formations that approach by their characteristics the “apparatus of violence”, they try to introduce their values into the managerial system. In such a way the classical composition of axiological values of state creation is also modified and, thus, the interpretation of the sovereignty that is no more viewed as a protective mechanism from external intervention.
Some of the world leaders even today take the liberty to impose ideas on certain values to other peoples and nations. And they implement their ideas on the patterns of existence into reality, forming the world according to their scenario and making it “more democratic”. However, as the practice of international life showed, most attempts to build democracy in other countries that in fact is nothing else but imposing of the Western model of statehood, management and values, have collapsed and lead to appearance of new failed states and pushed numerous other states to such unattractive status. Quite often after such interventions, conflicts, controversies and civil wars developed with double force and leaded to more tragic consequences. Thus, political scientist and economist, former adviser of the IMF P. Collier having analyzed all the similar conflicts after 1991 came to conclusion that around 50% of international interventions concluded so that in the following decades a new stage of civil war started in problematic regions [2].
At the same time, in spite of deep changes of the whole system of international existence, sovereign states that exercise full legislative, legal and executive power on their territory remain the main element of relations. In accordance with the definitions of analysts, the action of the international law traditionally stopped on the borders of a sovereign state, within which everything was submitted to its jurisdiction. From the higher principal of sovereignty followed the principle of non-intervention as a responsibility of other subjects not to get involved into internal affairs of a state without its consent. At the same time, the nature of international relations justifies the use of force and causes transformation of the sovereignty. The doctrine of the right of the international community to intervene into internal affairs of a state not only with the aim of international peace building, but also for humanitarian purposes is on the agenda.
According to international standards, Ukraine has quite good indicators. Thus, the Foreign Policy Magazine assesses that among 177 countries where the research was conducted in 60 states there is partial or complete failure of state functions. The leading positions among them hold Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan (with 4 million refugees), Chad, Congo (where since 1998 5,4 million people have perished), Iraq and Afghanistan. Cameroun, Yemen, Ethiopia, Guinea and Guinea Bissau are approaching failing states. Total population of such countries reaches 2 billion persons. Most of them are situated in Africa and 10 countries have worst economic indicators: they have 10 % of world population and only 1 % of world trade.
Among the post-Soviet countries, in the “orange” category of falling states could be found Russia (83rd position), Belarus (85th), Moldova (73rd), Turkmenistan (81st), Azerbaijan (68th). Slightly better situation is in Armenia (102nd), Kazakhstan (107th) and Ukraine (113th). In critical red zone find themselves Uzbekistan (39th), Kyrgyzstan (41st), Tajikistan (46th) and Georgia (51st). The highest – 177th position in the list holds Finland.
Attempts to evaluate quantitative indicators and their connection to the failure of state are useful for general understanding of the deep factors of the state failure, however, they do not give answer to the question why some week states turn into failing or failed states. Neither do they give instruments for prognosis. Without doubt, certain conditions generally reinforce the risk of state failure, such as poverty, insufficient educational level and infrastructure development, and also possibly presence of ethnical and religious conflicts. However, a range of countries with such conditions do not fall into failure. At the same time, states can exist in the situation of failing and even become weaker, but it does not lead to failure or escalation of violence. Also, there are trigger factors that lead to state failure. External intervention is often such a factor and it is not taken into consideration sufficiently in the researches on this topic. Other factors can consist in strong economic shocks, natural calamities, serious political crises or extremely unsuccessful political decisions.
In such conditions, realization of security tasks of Ukraine and most developing states depends not only on internal conditions and ability to get used to the renovated system of international relation, but also on the capacity of the guarantors of the international peace provide security and partnership of all the states in spite of the level of their development and military potential. In connection to the all the mentioned, for protection of our own values and resistance to threats, it is necessary to look for other means besides those considered foreign policy mechanisms of protection. And the most reliable among them may be deepening of economic component of cooperation of Ukraine with the European Union, as well as mutual cultural penetration that consists in common protection of European values. Why we are referring especially to values and economic component of international relations, and not to political or, for example, military? The answer to this question is on the surface: because all the challenges and threats are included into the notion of general state security, person and society; and, secondly, we are convinced that economic means as a foundation of cooperation, as well as mutually enriching spiritual heritage that is the peak of European values is the future foundation of world development in which Ukraine, the EU and Europe in general, which means All of Us, will coexist altogether. Fore this reason, so in demand are nowadays ideas of deepened economic cooperation of Ukraine and the EU (first stage – Agreement on Association) that is actively supported on all the levels, as well as cherishing of European values that not only correspond to European views but even go beyond the European values by their tolerance and respect to the human being…
Taking in consideration the factor of the European choice, Ukraine should combine the existing bilateral character of existing contacts with individual neighboring states with development of national strategy. With this consideration, it is important to unite the efforts of political elite, diplomats, experts for realization of the vector Ukraine – neighboring states, including the option Ukraine- the EU. At the same time adequate relations the EU-Ukraine-Russia will provide for possibilities of multilevel and complex actions of cooperation in the security space, economic, legal and judicial cooperation, as well as that within the cultural space.
Nowadays, the doctrine of priority of human rights to the national sovereignty with rare exception can be viewed as universal. The end of the global ideological controversy between the two world formations permitted to have a new view on the dominating spiritual values in the world, correspondence between the rights of a single person and prosperity of the society, national and global ideas. Moral renaissance is one of the most important issues in the agenda of society development. Incomparable significance is devoted to the results of the search for national idea that combines specific and general human values. This process is on-going in all the post-communist societies, including Ukraine. It is to predict that in XXI century spiritual development of a state will define its place and role within the international community, while material prosperity and military potential will be secondary.
Valuable in this regard are observations of Czech sociologist Miroslav Groh who singles out three stages of national development: academic, cultural-educational and political. On the first stage, among local elites scientific and amatory interest to various kinds of ethnic particularity appear: language, folklore, popular tradition, local history, etc. On the second stage, this interest covers larger circles of local elites inspiring them to more active participation in the “national cause”: spread of education and literature in national language, development of press and publication of books, creation of patriotic cannon of national history, etc. And, finally, on the third stage, structuring of the national society as a civil society takes place. Not only cultural-educational and other civil society organizations, but also political parties that articulate demands of national emancipation in the way of state independence (or autonomy) appear and mobilize population for implementation of their political agendas.
On which, from the indicated stages, does Ukraine find itself in formation and protection of its European values? This scientific aspect we will leave for consideration of philosophers and historians and will present just some thoughts related to the European identity of the Ukrainian nation. The best qualities of the Ukrainian nation: love of freedom, dignity, love of life, patriotism, strong will, spiritual force, readiness to defend native land. Typical qualities of the Ukrainian nation: search for the truth, trust, generosity, musical, spiritual, lyrical and poetical nature, hard-working, song-loving, talented, deep love of freedom [3]. Then the following: customary cultural of Ukrainians is deeply philosophical, developed in variation appearances, recreates spiritual connection between generations and the turning wheel of agricultural life seeing in the agricultural work the whole sense of human existence. The calendar customary culture is based on the agricultural ground, while in the family customary prevails philosophy of family relationship, ideal of beauty, health, morality – first of all moral foundations of labor.
The topic of European values, and in particular European values of Ukraine, is inexhaustible, wide and multifaceted; and national scientists must join the efforts on its exploration. Revealing it, it is possible to talk about geographical foundations and sources, historical past, political and ethnical factors, cultural heritage, world outlook, patriotic frame of mind, peaceful heroic acts carved by our nation on the annals of its history that was never easy.
Key words: European values, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, axiological roots, European identity of Ukraine, policies of the EU countries
Bibliography
1. S. Ghervas. European values: between the ideal, discourse and reality. – Electronic document: http://rethinkingdemocracy.org.ua/themes/Ghervas.html
2. Paul Collier. The Bottom Billion, Oxford UP. – Electronic document: http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/content/a-33-2007-07-03-voa4/653322.html.
3. Negative features, formations and drawbacks of the Ukrainian character: lack of respect to native language, insufficient feeling of national unity, lack of capacity to identify ill-will persons and foes of the nation, peacefulness, patience, feeling of national inferiority, lack of readiness to protect its own dignity and honor. – Electronic document:
http://pidruchniki.ws/16400116/pedagogika/prirodni_kulturno-istorichni_chinniki formuvannyaukrayinskoyi_dushi_harakteru_svitoglyadu
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