DECENTRALISATION AS A TOOL FOR BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: A STUDY ON THE EXAMPLE OF EU COUNTRIES TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EDUCATIONAL REFORMS

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyse and summarise Ukraine’s experience in implementing decentralisation, taking into account the experience of European countries and with a separate assessment of educational reforms within the framework of decentralisation processes. The relevance of the study is proved by the positive experience of EU countries. In particular, it has been established that decentralisation is the key to successful democratic processes. It is found that Ukraine ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1997, but its actual implementation began in 2014, which set Ukraine back from the European level of decentralisation for several decades. It is established that the transfer of powers and the right to manage financial resources independently promotes regional economic development and encourages citizens to be active, since their participation in community life has an impact on their personal wellbeing. In addition, a separate assessment is made of educational decentralisation and the powers of communities in educational matters. The positive and negative aspects of the education reform in the context of decentralisation are highlighted. At the same time, it is established that certain socio-political processes can slow down or change the vector of decentralisation. Conclusions. The study has shown that decentralisation is an effective tool for building an effective system of government and successful democratic processes. At the same time, the success of the decentralisation reform is directly related to a clear, understandable and transparent distribution of funds within the community, and the rational use of financial resources. An analysis of the activities of communities in the current situation shows that the war has put communities in unequal conditions, as communities with reduced revenues require more expenditures due to their proximity to the combat zone and constant damage to infrastructure, as opposed to communities that have increased their revenues through the tax paid by internally displaced persons. Therefore, the key task of the state is to preserve the positive achievements of decentralisation and prevent the narrowing of community powers.