Functioning of Government
Ukraine is governed under the constitution of 1996. The president (head of state) is popularly elected for a term of five years and is eligible for a reelection. The prime minister, and the cabinet head the government. They are appointed by the President and have to be approved by the Congress. The unicameral legislature consists of the 450-seat Supreme Council (Verkhovna Rada), whose members are elected to serve five-year terms. 225 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system in a single, nationwide district. The remaining 225 members are elected in single member districts. All parties that win at least 3% of the national vote in the parliamentary election are awarded seats proportionately. Ukraine is divided into 24 provinces or oblasts, two municipalities with oblast status (Kiev and Sevastopol), and one autonomous republic (Crimea). Crimea is a Constituent entity of independent Ukraine.
Business Environment
The declining economic situation in Ukraine began in 2012 and worsened in 2014. Consumption has been affected by falling wages and rising prices. Industrial output suffered from the political instability in the east of the country (most of the businesses are concentrated) there is weak domestic demand and rising gas process are destroying the economic base. Agricultural output is posed to remain favorable given the favorable weather conditions. Its worsening relations with Russia could hamper growth further. Ukraine’s main economic advantages are its strategic position between Russia and the European Union, its considerable agricultural potential, and its skilled low-cost workforce.
Acceptance of Rights of Others
Demographics: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.)
Language makeuo: Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldavian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.)
2012 legislation enables a language spoken by at least 10% of an oblast’s population to be given the status of “regional language,” allowing for its use in courts, schools, and other government institutions; Ukrainian remains the country’s only official nationwide language
Orthodox (includes Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox (UAOC), Ukrainian Orthodox – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), Ukrainian Orthodox – Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish
Ukraine’s population is overwhelmingly Christian; the vast majority – up to two-thirds – identify themselves as Orthodox, but many do not specify a particular branch; the UOC-KP and the UOC-MP each represent less than a quarter of the country’s population, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church accounts for 8-10%, and the UAOC accounts for 1-2%; Muslim and Jewish adherents each compose less than 1% of the total population (2013 est.)
As of recent, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities still suffer discrimination by the ethnic Russian majority in Crimea and have called for the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages to be given a status equal to Russian.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html
http://www.minorityrights.org/5053/ukraine/ukraine-overview.html#current
Relations with Neighbors
Ukraine and Poland are common supporters as of right now, especially after Crimean Crisis. In 2014 an article cites “Warsaw’s engagement could also lay the foundation for closer relations between Poland and post-Yanukovych Ukraine. A billboard set up last month by the city council of Rava Ruska, a town on Ukraine’s border with Poland, thanked the Poles for their support during the protests. The caption, written in Polish, read: “He who does not abandon us in our battle for the future is our brother.”
Relations with Russia and Ukraine have a violent relationship. With the threat of war, whether invasion or cyber war. Both Russia and Ukraine do not get along. With Russia seemingly wanting to take over surrounding countries.
“The crisis itself, of course, remains very active. Despite President Poroshenko’s proposed 15 point peace plan, the possibility of further deterioration remains distinct. In June, senior NATO officials pointed to a renewed build up of Russian armed forces on the Ukrainian border, indicating it was a “regrettable slip backwards”. This suggests that the Russian leadership seeks to retain the option to intervene in Ukraine further, which would imply deeper Western sanctions against Russia. Furthermore, for its part, Moscow has denied the build up, stating that it is a rotation of forces, while condemning the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons by Ukrainian forces in built up areas in their campaign against the separatists that has led to many civilian casualties and a major increase in refugees.”
Ukraine and the other countries surround it seems to have their agreements and disagreements, but do not have a violent relationship such as the one between Russia.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2014/03/poland-and-ukraine
Free Flow of Information
Recently The Ukrainian Parliament on March 5 gave preliminary approval (with 243 votes) to a law that would make more public information available online and free of charge, according to an article by Boxhena Sheremeta in the Kiev Post.
Government agencies would have to publish operational data, statistics and reports on a national open data web platform.President Petro Poroshenko submitted the law as part of the Digital Ukraine Association Initiative, actively promoted by Dmytro Shymkiv, deputy head of President’s Administration office and former chief at Microsoft Ukraine, according to the article. A second reading is necessary.The United States has also made sanctions to effect what is going on between Ukraine and Russia. Limits with Google Chrome and domain site Go-Daddy have effected Ukraine but it has been done in order to help Ukraine in the future and move the flow of information and opinion through social media.
https://www.newamerica.org/oti/protecting-the-free-flow-of-information-in-crimea-under-us-sanctions/
http://www.freedominfo.org/2015/03/ukraine-advances-bill-to-post-more-information-online/
Human Capital
Human capital is something Ukraine is highly focused on to move forward as a country.Pavlo Shermeta, the minister of Economy of Ukraine says “Human Capital is of the main priorities for the Ministry of economy. Improving human capital is key for improving efficiency of the functioning of the state”.Inita Pauloviča, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative notes that “The key for the future of any country and any institution lies in the talent, skills and capabilities of its people. With talent shortages projected to become more severe in much of the developed and developing world, it will be imperative to turn attention to how these shortages can be met in the short term and prevented in the long term. For the individual, as well as for societies and economies as a whole, investing in human capital is critical; even more so in the context of shifting population dynamics and limited resources”
Equal opportunities and social justice; open and transparent authorities; efficient health care; decent work; a modern economy; a healthy environment; accessible and high-quality education; and a developed infrastructure have been noted to be the primary focus going into the future.
http://www.ua.undp.org/content/ukraine/en/home/presscenter/articles/2014/06/19/the-future-of-the-human-capital-in-ukraine.html
Level of Corruption
There is a large amount of corruption with in Ukraine, particularly within the healthcare system. The cancer rate is extremely high there, some of it being cause by radiation from places such Chernobyl. An anesthetist within Ukraine, at their largest cancer institute explains that “Presumably there is money,”. “But for some reason that money doesn’t reach the most important places, like intensive care. So it means we have to earn everything ourselves.” The phrase “earn everything ourselves”, he explained, is a euphemism for taking bribes, though Sidorenko was quick to point out that this wasn’t something he wanted to do. He led the team of doctors running intensive care, so he was responsible for the institute’s most vulnerable patients. Clinically, he felt he had no choice but to take the money.”
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/feb/04/welcome-to-the-most-corrupt-nation-in-europe-ukraine
http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/ukraine/government
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html