Political Influence of Oligarchs in Ukraine
Project duration: 2006 - 2016, Contact: Prof. Heiko Pleines
The analysis of the political influence of oligarchs in Ukraine was from 2006 until 2011 part of the research project ‘The (Re-) Integration of Ukraine into Europe’ located at the University of Vienna. From 2012 until 2016 the project was continued independently at the Research Centre.
The project compares and contrasts the political strategies pursued by Ukrainian oligarchs under the presidencies of Leonid Kuchma (1994-2004), Viktor Yushchenko (2005-2010), Viktor Yanukovich (2010-14) and Petro Poroshenko (since 2014). Based on the established findings, the central aim of the project is to analyse how the oligarchs' strategies change over time, how and how successfull attempts are to contain the influence of informal influence.
Dataset "Ukrainian oligarchs 2000 - 2016" for download
Publications
Pleines, Heiko (2017): The international links of Ukrainian oligarchs. Business expansion and transnational offshore networks, in: Timm Beichelt / Susann Worschech (eds.): Transnational Ukraine? Networks and Ties that influence(d) Contemporary Ukraine, Stuttgart (Ibidem), forthcoming.
Pleines, Heiko (2016): Oligarchs and Politics in Ukraine, in: Demokratizatsiya 24:1, 105-127.
Heiko Pleines (2011): Die politische Rolle der Oligarchen, in: Juliane Besters-Dilger, Alois Woldan (Hg.): Die Ukraine auf dem Weg nach Europa, Frankfurt/M. (Peter Lang), 129-146
Heiko Pleines (2010): Demokratisierung ohne Demokraten. Die Oligarchen in der ukrainischen Politik, in: Osteuropa No.2-4 (vol. 60), pp. 123-134
Heiko Pleines (2009): The political role of the oligarchs, in: Juliane Besters-Dilger (ed.): Ukraine on its way to Europe. Interim results of the Orange Revolution, Frankfurt/Main (Peter Lang) 2009, pp. 103-120.
[Ukrainian version published as: Heiko Pleines (2009): Politichina rol oligarkhiv, in: Juliane Besters-Dilger (red.): Ukraina na shlyakhu do Evropi, Kyiv (Mohyla Academy Press) 2009, s. 123-140]
Heiko Pleines (2008): Manipulating politics. Domestic investors in Ukrainian privatisation auctions 2000-2004, in: Europe-Asia Studies No.7 (vol.60), pp. 1177-1197.
Julia Kusznir / Heiko Pleines (2006): Informal networks in Ukraine's privatisation auctions, in: KICES Working Papers No.6, pp. 37-51.
Heiko Pleines (2005): Informelle Einflußnahme und Demokratie. Wirtschaftsakteure in Rußland und der Ukraine, in: Osteuropa No.10 (vol. 55), pp.99-108.
Heiko Pleines (2005): Ukrainische Seilschaften. Informelle Einflussnahme in der
ukrainischen Wirtschaftspolitik 1992-2004, Münster (LIT) 2005.
Tina Kowall, Kerstin Zimmer (2002): Der politische Einfluß von Wirtschaftseliten in der Ukraine. Nationale und regionale Oligarchen, Arbeitspapiere und Materialien der Forschungsstelle Osteuropa No.42.