The VALREF project addresses the fundamental changes in the framework for state- and nation-building in Ukraine after 2013/2014. The expectations of a wider liberal European order based on stable state consolidation and nation-building, a persistent orientation toward open-market economies and international trade, and a security environment founded on predictability and cooperation were challenged after the annexation of Crimea. At the same time, a new set of political preferences has formed, and new criteria for state- and nation building have emerged. VALREF will address the implementation of political reforms in post-Maidan in Ukraine, and whether reform policies gain resonance in shifting public opinion. We ask:
- What do the Euromaidan event and the conflict with Russia mean for state reforms and national consolidation in Ukraine?
- What can the Ukrainian case bring to the theoretical field of state- and nation-building?
To answer these research questions, we aspire to an innovative model that combines tracing the new cycle of reform policies with grounded empirical research into changes in public perceptions. The model for examining changes in public opinion will be further streamlined at the VALREF workshop in the beginning of October 2021. The central instrument in the model will be a public opinion survey to be conducted in 2022 and 2024.