Kopynets Y. The Impact of Modern Trends in the Party Systems Development in the European Union Countries on the Evolution and Functioning of the Party System of Ukraine.

The thesis analyses the impact of modern trends in party systems development of the European Union countries on the evolution and functioning of the party system of Ukraine. European and global trends in the development of political parties and party systems are described. The 2017–2019 parliamentary elections in the EU countries are studied and it is argued that the main characteristic of the election campaigns was the confrontation between “mainstream” parties and “new politics” parties. The main stages of development and factors influencing the evolution of the party system of Ukraine are described. The influence of the 2019-2020 electoral cycle on the actors' structure and configuration of the domestic party system is studied. It is noted that the 2019 parliamentary elections showed a new trend in party life - its virtualization, and the 2020 local elections, which took place under conditions of completing the next stage of decentralization, demonstrated the success of regional parties and the functioning of national parties at the local level as electoral franchises.