How the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Left a Legacy of Democracy in the Baltics And Ukraine
The Influence of the Sejm on Modern Ukraine and the Baltics
With the attempted coup of the hardliners in the U.S.S.R. in 1991, the Soviet Republics, led by the Baltics and Ukraine, chose a path to independence, paving the way for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. While all of the former Soviet Republics initially embraced republican democracy, many, including the Russian Federation, have slid back towards the autocracy of the Soviet Union.
They are led by strongmen who have won multiple terms as President in sham elections, such as Vladimir Putin (Russia), Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarus), Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan), Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan), etc.
However, a few Republics have not slid back into authoritarian government systems, establishing, nurturing, and fighting to retain democracies. These are the Baltic States and Ukraine, to name a few. The Baltics developed flourishing democracies and charted a path towards integration with the rest of Europe by joining the European Union and NATO.
Ukraine has had a harder course in remaining a democratic country, being easily manipulated by Russian influence, having a vocal minority aligned with Russia, and prominent…
