Ukraine’s Integration into the European Social Space: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the essence and purpose of the social state, as a state of general well-being, which is one of the key aspects of the perception of the state based on the principle of the rule of law (rule of law). The subject of the research is the following categories of jurisprudence: social legal state, European social model, European social space, social policy of the state. The purpose of the article is to analyze the main features of the social state as a model of the ideal state, the social policy of the state, the European social model, domestic achievements, problems and providing proposals for the fastest entry of Ukraine into the European social space. The research uses dialectical, systemic, structural-functional, logical, historical, comparative-legal, theoretical modeling and other methods traditional for jurisprudence. Some aspects of the development of social statehood in Ukraine are studied, namely the activity of such an institution of civil society as the volunteer movement and its influence on the formation of such a state, as well as the implementation of the social function of the state in relation to persons with disabilities. The experience of the European Union in the spheres of social protection and environmental human rights is considered. The need for further adaptation of the main foundations of the country's social direction of our state to the European social space has been identified. Based on the conducted research, the following conclusions were formulated: the welfare state marks a certain historical stage in the development of the concept of a democratic, legal state; the functioning of such a state, at the current stage of society's development, is possible in the presence of an appropriate model of the social market economy, which ensures the stability of modern society and its sustainable development; the improvement of the legal foundations of the social state at the current stage should take place taking into account the tendency to "green" the democratic, legal state, as well as the formation of the European social model and integration into the European social space; within the social sphere of such a state, the implementation of socio-economic and environmental rights enshrined at the constitutional level should be guaranteed.  Recommendations are given on borrowing the experience of European countries in building a social state in Ukraine, ensuring the rights of vulnerable categories of Ukrainian citizens, along with state authorities and local self government bodies, as well as civil society institutions.