September 10th 2014, Kyiv – Decentralization of the economy makes national democracy competitive. This statement can be applied equally or in some form to every state. When a country has successfully made transition from authoritarian to democracy, but the quality of democratic government still seems deeply dissatisfying to a large number of voters, the country should revise its administrative tools and management policies. This was stated by American economist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2007) Roger Myerson during the briefing in the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. “Of course, foreign professor has no vote, but now when after the reform Russian President has the power to appoint the governors, Mr. Putin should address the issue of decentralization of Russian economy either when he talks on the necessity of decentralization in Ukraine”, – said Mr. Myerson.
“Decentralization seems to weaken the state in some ways, but in practice it can help to resist any separatist movements”, – said Mr. Myerson. He also analyzed and raised the issue of the Constitution of Ukraine as of 2004. “It has been written to give the Prime-Minister the primary responsibility for overseeing national government, while the President has got great power to direct local administrations in 24 different provinces and hundreds of districts across the country. And that structure itself turns to create national politics which cause antagonism between the regions”, – said Roger Myerson.
Roger Myerson has studied how the rules of institutions affect the ability of people to build trust with each other, to cooperate effectively in markets and politics. Based on the analyses and comparative politics across the world, he concluded that in successful democracies democratic competition at the national level was broadened by local democracy. “Voters in many countries, and it is rather typical, choose their candidates for national leadership among those who have proven themselves by being first elected the governor, head of provincial administration or the mayor of a large city”. – said Mr. Myerson. So it is crucial, in his opinion, to recognize that one of the effects of decentralization is to allow more opportunities for politicians to prove what they can do for the people of Ukraine by having been elected to responsible officials at the provincial, municipal or district levels.