СONSTITUTIONAL EVOLUTION OF DEMOCRACY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EUROPEAN AND UKRAINIAN LEGAL FRAMEWORKS (18TH–20TH CENTURIES)

Abstract

The study of the development of democratic principles in the European constitutions of the eighteenth century and their impact on the formation of Ukrainian constitutionalism is relevant in analysing the historical and legal foundations of democracy. The Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk deserves special attention as a unique document that integrates democratic ideas in the context of the national liberation struggle. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of European democratic principles on the formation of the legal culture of Ukraine. The research methodology is based on historical, comparative, systematic, content analysis and chronological methods. The study identifies the critical democratic principles enshrined in the European constitutions of the eighteenth century, such as popular sovereignty, separation of powers and guarantees of human rights, and their impact on Ukrainian legislation. The analysis of the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk shows its uniqueness as a document that combines democratic ideas with traditional customary law. It is established that European constitutions have influenced the formation of modern Ukrainian constitutionalism by integrating fundamental democratic values. The practical importance of the study lies in its potential to inform and enhance the ongoing reform of the Ukrainian legal system, aligning it with European standards and reinforcing the processes of democratic society in the present era.