Publication

This commentary discusses the deteriorating political and security situation in Ukraine's Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) region, one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse in the country. The authors argue that, rather than fighting crime and corruption in the region, the Ukrainian central government has given its leader Viktor Baloha and his family a "free hand" in ruling in a bid to maintain stability and prevent potential threats from the Hungarian minority and Rusyn ‘separatism’. They predict that the region's upcoming local elections in October, 2015, will be a test of Baloha’s support.