- European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights & Democratisation
Monastery of San Nicolò
Riviera San Nicolò, 26
I-30126 Venice Lido (Italy)
- LGBT politics, Central and Eastern Europe, International Relations, Political Science, Human Rights, LGBT Issues, and 34 moreLGBT Studies, Feminist and LGBT Cultural History, LGBTq Activisms, LGBT rights, Lgbt Rights In Eastern Europe, LGBT In Central and Eastern Europe, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Gay Politics, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Normative Power Europe, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Studies, Transition in Central and Eastern Europe, Foreign Policy of Poland and other Central and Eastern European States, Central and Eastern European Studies, Politics of Ukraine, European Studies, European Union, ECHR jurisprudence, LGBT rights, European human rights law, European Union Politics, European integration, European Foreign Policy, Russian Foreign Policy, Russian LGBT Movements, LGBT In Russia, Lgbti Rights in Eu, Gay Rights in Eastern Europe, Chechnya, Gay marriage, Debate over Same-Sex Marriage, Lgbtq, LGBT Movement In Poland, LGBTQ World Politics, and European Enlargementedit
- A political scientist specialised in LGBTI-Politics in Central and Eastern Europeedit
- Prof. Dr. Jonathan Holslag (Master Thesis Supervisor)edit
This master thesis examined the impact of the European Union on the perspectives of homosexuality by the Ukrainian political elite since the EuroMaidan revolution. Despite Ukraine still being a rather homophobic country (Martsenyuk, 2012;... more
This master thesis examined the impact of the European Union on the perspectives of homosexuality by the Ukrainian political elite since the EuroMaidan revolution. Despite Ukraine still being a rather homophobic country (Martsenyuk, 2012; ILGA-Europe, 2017), the country introduced certain legal improvements for the LGBT-community.
Through fieldwork in Kyiv and Brussels in-depth interviews with experts were executed. These interviews were analysed through thematic discourse analysis. For all reforms the European Union was the main influencing factor. While issue-linking during the negotiations processes for visa-liberalisation and the Association Agreement seems to be the most effective tools, the pro-European spirit since the EuroMaidan revolution should not be underestimated as well.
While EU-influence clearly led to legal changes, both Ukrainian and European officials and activists determined that the changes were rather marginal. While new laws liberalised some policies towards LGBT-people, the Ukrainian society, including the Ukrainian parliament remain rather homophobic. The openness towards the LGBT-community seems to be limited to the executive branch of power. Hindering factors for the evolvement of LGBT-rights in Ukraine are religion, nationalism and the occupation by the Russian Federation and pro-Russian separatists in certain Ukrainian regions.
This master thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Jonathan Holslag.
Through fieldwork in Kyiv and Brussels in-depth interviews with experts were executed. These interviews were analysed through thematic discourse analysis. For all reforms the European Union was the main influencing factor. While issue-linking during the negotiations processes for visa-liberalisation and the Association Agreement seems to be the most effective tools, the pro-European spirit since the EuroMaidan revolution should not be underestimated as well.
While EU-influence clearly led to legal changes, both Ukrainian and European officials and activists determined that the changes were rather marginal. While new laws liberalised some policies towards LGBT-people, the Ukrainian society, including the Ukrainian parliament remain rather homophobic. The openness towards the LGBT-community seems to be limited to the executive branch of power. Hindering factors for the evolvement of LGBT-rights in Ukraine are religion, nationalism and the occupation by the Russian Federation and pro-Russian separatists in certain Ukrainian regions.
This master thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Jonathan Holslag.
Research Interests: Eastern European Studies, European Studies, LGBT Issues, European Foreign Policy, European Politics, and 15 moreEuropean Union, Europeanization, European Union Politics, Politics of Ukraine, Europeanisation, Normative Power Europe, LGBTQ studies, Queer Politics, Lgbtt Activism, LGBT politics, LGBT In Central and Eastern Europe, Lgbt Rights In Eastern Europe, Russian Influence, Euromaidan, LGBT in Ukraine, and Post-EuroMaidan Ukraine
Autocracy and soft power - for the past three decades they did not seem to go hand in hand. Nevertheless - the last decade has proven that populist and illiberal forces in the democratic West are prone to policies undertaken by illiberal... more
Autocracy and soft power - for the past three decades they did not seem to go hand in hand. Nevertheless - the last decade has proven that populist and illiberal forces in the democratic West are prone to policies undertaken by illiberal autocratic states. In the eyes of Russian policy-makers - the demographic decline in Russia and the world possesses an existential threat to the current world order. An increase in civil rights for sexual and gender minorities would only reinforce this demographic trend - in their views. This research reveals that the Russian Federation has set up a well-thought soft power strategy regarding LGBTI-rights towards the democratic West. Via outsourcing their soft power to the already existing international anti-LGBTI movement, the Kremlin was able to create a network of (financial and ideological) support for possible cooperation between Russian and European policy-makers. This network seems to fit within the Kremlin’s broader foreign policy of undermining Western liberal democracies.
By taking a closer look to the Hungarian and Russian involvement within international anti-LGBTI organisations - like the World Congress of Families - the author of this research was able to prove close and structural ties between high- level Hungarian and Russian government officials and oligarchs. The Hungarian government increased the homo- and transphobic political discourse, enforced policies to foster traditional family values and vetoed every pro-LGBTI rights policy proposal in the Council of the European Union since its involvement in the international anti- LGBTI movement.
By taking a closer look to the Hungarian and Russian involvement within international anti-LGBTI organisations - like the World Congress of Families - the author of this research was able to prove close and structural ties between high- level Hungarian and Russian government officials and oligarchs. The Hungarian government increased the homo- and transphobic political discourse, enforced policies to foster traditional family values and vetoed every pro-LGBTI rights policy proposal in the Council of the European Union since its involvement in the international anti- LGBTI movement.