“Minimalist” concepts of semi-presidentialism: are Ukraine and Slovenia semi-presidential states?
“Minimalist” concepts of semi-presidentialism: are Ukraine and Slovenia semi-presidential states?

Summary/Abstract: The concepts of semi-presidentialism by Robert Elgie and Matthew S. Shugart differ greatly. When applied to Ukraine and Slovenia, this shows how a country can be categorized differently depending on the author’s understanding of what the defining properties of semi-presidentialism are. Elgie’s minimalist concept classifies both countries as semi-presidential, while Shugart’s concept points out major differences between the systems of government of these two countries. According to the Shugart’s concept, Ukraine is a semipresidential regime; Slovenia is not. These two concepts illustrate the divergences in defining semi-presidential systems and, consequently, the differences in the understanding of the properties and the functioning of political systems in various countries. By comparing the systems of government in those two countries and by the application of Robert Elgie’s minimalist and Matthew Shugart’s non-minimalist concepts I will test the usefulness of the minimalist concepts in a theoretical and practical way.

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