"Democracy for recognition" strategy in de facto states: A comparative analysis of Kosovo and Abkhazia cases

This thesis examines democracy and democratization in de facto states over Abkhazia or Kosovo cases comparatively. De facto states first emerged after 1945 but their number substantially increased with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Related to their international legitimacy problems, the interest on democracy in de facto states has risen in recent years both in the international community and academic literature. In this context, this study seeks answers to three key questions related to democracy in de facto states in the literature grounded on the relations with the patron state, ethnic divisions and conflict, and recognition and recognition strategies. To this end, the study utilizes Freedom House data and reports, semi-structured interviews conducted by the author, and local news outlets in Abkhazia and Kosovo. As a result, the study concludes that the most important, if not the only, factor behind both democratization and recognition of de facto states is the patron state. The difference in democracy levels between Kosovo or Abkhazia is also directly related to this factor. Moreover, the most important internal obstacle to democratization in de facto states is ethnic cleavages and conflicts. Finally, a democratic regime plays only a very limited role in the recognition of de facto states. Relatedly, although it is correct that Kosovo has pursued a so-called "democracy-for-recognition strategy", this has not been the case for Abkhazia.