PERVERSIONS OF POLITICAL REGIMES IN THE CONDITIONS OF INHIBITION OF GLOBALIZATION AND DEDEMOCRATIZATION

Abstract

Changes of geopolitical centers under the conditions of modern geopolitical turbulence and processes of fragmentation of the world political order are considered. It is noted that the pandemic has intensified the process of closing state borders. In the context of the crisis of the established institutions of liberal democracy, the emergence of post-democracy as a phenomenon and process of evolution of «exemplary» democracies became a clear proof of this crisis. It has been established that this results in the perversion of the political regimes of the "new democracies", the post-Soviet space in particular. The uneven economic development of the post-Soviet countries has increased and the differences between these countries in terms of attitudes to various geopolitical projects have increased. It is noted that the political regimes of the "new democracies" have become regimes of competitive oligarchy and neo-patrimonialism, the influence of certain oligarchic groups and their representatives has increased. This gave them more opportunities to dominate the hierarchy of power and overcome existing institutional constraints, which ultimately created the conditions for the creation of pseudo-democratic regimes. Important features of pseudo-democracies that allow oligarchic groups and authoritarian rulers of official political institutions in post-Soviet pseudo-democracies to exercise control over the prevalence of patronage policy are highlighted. It turns out that gradual democratization occurs every time rivals of pseudo-democratic leaders come to power through democratic elections, that pseudo-democratic leaders are authoritarian leaders, abuse state resources to deprive the opposition of access to these important resources. Such perversions preclude any possibility of creating a level playing field for democratic political competition that allows the opposition to win the election.