Abstract: The object of this research is the sociopolitical situation. The subject is the methodological aspects of assessing its conflictogenity. Based on the results of studying the structure and relations between the elements of sociopolitical situation, the author sets a goal to determine and substantiate the criteria allowing analyzing the existing social contradictions and assessing their conflictogenity. The theoretical foundation contains the works of assessment methodology for military-political and sociopolitical situation. Special role is assigned to substantiation of the tools for analyzing conflictogenity of sociopolitical situation in society, region and worldwide, as well as determination of the criteria for their characteristic. The article applies the set of methods of systemic analysis – system-component, system-structural, system-functional, and system-evolutionary for logical and neat structuring of the algorithm of assessing conflictogenity of sociopolitical situation. Gnoseological potential of general scientific methods (synthesis and comparison) allows classifying the types of sociopolitical situation and adequately structuring the sequence of assessment of its conflictogenity. The scientific novelty consists in theoretical and practical substantiation of the choice of research methods at each stage of the assessment of conflictogenity of sociopolitical situation. The acquired results lead to a conclusion that each sociopolitical situation is characterized with a number factors, which may escalate tension in relationship between actors of sociopolitical process and generate a conflict.

Keywords: methods of cognition, forecasting, system analysis, socio-political relations, conflict, actor, socio-political situation, society, the stages of analysis, the conflict potential of the situation

Abstract: This article examines the development of democratic regimes in the conditions of implementation of the new information and communication technologies. The subject of this research is the factors and causes of emergence of the new phenomenon of e-democracy within the political space. The author refers to the existing in scientific environment theories that explain the transformation of modern regimes towards e-democracy. Special attention is given to the works of Pippa Norris, who made a theoretical and empirical contribution to the establishment of an original scientific model, as well as systematizes the theories of genesis of e-democracy. Other theories of foreign researchers are also considered in the course of this study. The author analyzes all concepts of the development of e-democracy, verified on the basis of empirical data received from Sweden. The conclusion is made on feasibility of the scientific paradigm of P. Norris. The author examines which of the paradigms – the theory of industrial society, technological determinism, democratic theory, or others – presents empirical significance  and affects the establishment and development of e-democracy in practice. The results may be valuable for further research on e-democracy, as this article covers and empirically tests all of the key theories of foreign scholars.

Keywords: teledemocracy, political communication, ICT, information and communication technologies, e-democracy, electronic democracy, democracy, cyber-democracy, Internet, new media

Abstract: This article examines the development of democratic regimes in the conditions of implementation of the new information and communication technologies. The subject of this research is the theoretical models of e-democracy and their implementation in global practice. The phenomenon of e-democracy, its structure and definition are considered. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the models of e-democracy, proposed by other authors. The article also explores the classical system of the models of democracy – direct, representative, deliberative, as well as suggests a new perspective upon paradigm of the models of e-democracy. All of the proposed models are analyzed from the standpoint of implementation of the new information and communication technologies along with their influence on the modern democratic architecture. The scientific novelty consists in structuring of all the vectors of realization of e-democracy from the perspective of classical system of models. Having considered the examples of global practice and critical studies of other scholars, the author concludes on the existence of a set of problems on the path of development of e-democracy. The author presents an original outlook upon the future development of e-democracy.

Keywords: teledemocracy, political communication, ICT, information and communication technologies, e-democracy, electronic democracy, democracy, cyber-democracy, Internet, new media

Abstract: The goal of this article lies in the analysis of migration policy of the EU member and candidate states, including with regards to transit migrants. The authors examine such aspects of the topic as the advancement of NATO and European Neighborhood Policy, highlighting the factors of securitization of definition of the key characteristics of transit countries. An assessment is conducted of the EU policy and separate transit countries pertinent to migrants from European and Asian countries, on the example of Greece and illegal transit migrants. The materials for this research contain the official documents of EU member states, mass media publications and scientific works in the area of international migrations, Eurostat statistical data, UNHCR and European Commission (2010-2016). A conclusion is made that transit countries deal with a large migration flow; some of the transit countries play a role of a “buffer zone”, form regional transit migration flows. The changes in national migration policy can serve as the foundation for emergence of the new transit migration flows already of international level. The authors suggest dividing transit migrants into two groups: the first one – labor and other migrants; the second one – refugees. The latter are prone to continuous migration, while labor migrants seek multiple ways leading to the European Union, and look for better opportunities. Prolonged stay of migrants in transit countries can be a result of the intended acts of the governments, increasingly concerned about the fact that transit migration undermines the relations with neighboring countries, which are a desirable destination for migrants.  

Keywords: transit migrants, transit country, migration flow, migrants, migration processes, transit, migration, migration ppolicy, securitization, european policy

Abstract: The subject this research is the phenomenon of nihilism in European history, as well as its reflection in the philosophy E. Jünger, M. Heidegger and T. Adorno. Historical pathology, which is associated with the processes of the modernity and received a diagnosis of "nihilism", consists in the fact that the values of modernity and Enlightenment – autonomy, freedom from external authority, critical use of reason, universal principles, in terms of which have been criticized religion, history, morals, politics – due to its negative, revolutionary character are unfavorable for creating sustainable moral and social relations. The problem of philosophy consists in the attempt to find an adequate response to nihilism. The article applies hermeneutic analysis of philosophical texts to reveal the variations of such responses. The scientific novelty of the research lies in creation of typology of solution of the problem of nihilism, proposed by the European philosophy. At the same time, the two fundamental types of nihilistic sociopolitical worldview – passive and active, in other words, melancholically-contemplative attitude and proclivity for revolutionary transformation of the world, receive criticism based on the analysis of reflection of the leading European philosophers.

Keywords: philosophy, ideology, utopia, revolution, modernity, values, society, nihilism, politics, messianism