Road to the EU of the Visegrad countries: lessons for Ukraine
The project “Road to the EU of the Visegrad countries: lessons for Ukraine” is implemented by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives together with Institute for Public Affairs (Slovakia), Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM (Czech Republic), and Center for Social and Economic Research (Poland) and financed by theInternational Visegrad Fund. The main aim of the project is to contribute to formation of conscious public attitude towards European integration in Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine by organizing public discussions on possible solutions of problems Ukraine might face on its way to the EU using experience of its neighboring countries.
The project envisages conduction of round tables in cities of Eastern and Southern regions, where the support of European integration is the lowest in Ukraine, with participation of experts from the Visegrad countries presenting their experience of integration with the EU. During the round tables, foreign experts will present their publications on peculiarities of their countries’ road to the EU and engage in discussion with DIF experts and local civic activists on problems and prospects of Ukraine during its integration in the EU. During the final conference in Kyiv, main results of the project and strategy of further informational campaign on the EU will be discussed.
The project is expected to influence public opinion of the most Euro-skeptic regions of Ukraine by presenting real picture of Ukraine’s possible way to the EU basing on the experience of its neighboring countries. Under conditions of reverse of official foreign policy of Ukraine and activation of pro-Customs Union informational campaigns, the project will contribute to keeping European integration in Ukraine’s public agenda and forming more rational and informative stance towards the EU among wide public. This, in turn, is expected to stimulate stronger public pressure on Ukrainian authorities to resume their way towards European integration.
