Mukha V. Referendum as a Mechanism of National-State Self-Determination: the Experience of Great Britain and Ukraine

The institute of referendum refers to be one of the key and central mechanisms for the implementation of national-state self-determination. The issue of exercise of the peoples’ right to self-determination together with the system of law-enforcement relations between the principle of territorial integrity of states and the principle of self-determination of peoples is one of the most important aspects of modern science at the interdisciplinary level. Adequate solution of this problem in the theory and practice of state building in the XXI century seems extremely urgent and relevant, which is in dire need of finding an adequate answer. The referendum in the UK changed the status of the European Union member state. By virtue of the nationwide referendum, the UK strengthened its sovereign status, which consists in acquiring greater rights to act independently as a player in world politics and not depend on such a large integration group as the European Union. It is very difficult to predict the consequences of a referendum. Therefore, taking into account the experience of Great Britain in Ukraine, it is necessary to introduce a system of checks and balances, which will exclude the possibility of implementing contradictory decisions. Undoubtedly, Britain’s withdrawal from the EU is a controversial decision, as evidenced not only by the division of the state in half, for and against Brexit, but also by the existing body of scientific research on this issue with opposing views on the problem. Given the outstanding relevance of the development of the institution of a referendum in Ukraine, the experience of the UK in implementing self-determination through a national referendum should really be studied by our state in more depth. Borrowing the experience of Great Britain should be taken into account in the possible holding of a referendum on membership in NATO and the EU, and a referendum on the status of the temporarily occupied parts of the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions is also possible, as well as their interaction with the rest of the territory of Ukraine. Based on the relevance of the dissertation research, its main goal is a holistic analysis, based on theoretical and methodological and practical political analysis of referendums in Britain and Ukraine, as well as determining the essential dimension and potential of the referendum as a mechanism for national-state self-determination of modern societies. The essence and potential of the referendum institute in Great Britain have been clarified. The interdisciplinary approach was ued rsking into account the complexity of the subject of scientific research. It provided an objective picture of the mechanisms of realization of national and state self-determination of Great Britain. The dissertation used general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, which allowed to analyze the causes and consequences of Brexit. The historical method allowed to achieve an in-depth understanding of the problem, as well as to make a consistent chronological analysis of events, to identify the key reasons and factors that contributed to the willinness of the British people to leave the EU. The comparative method made it possible to identify common and different, to compare two national referendums in Great Britain - 1975 and 2016, which concerned the European integration of Great Britain.