The concept of irreversible state subjectivity in relations with international financial organisations: the “digital lock” mechanism and lessons from four countries
Abstract
The article develops a concept of enhancing state subjectivity in relations with international financial organisations (IFOs), grounded in the principle of irreversible transition from the paternalistic to the partnership model through a “digital lock” mechanism. The theoretical framework rests on three concepts: sovereign analytical capacity as an institutional counterweight to creditor expertise; the ratchet effect as a property that makes dismantling of transparency more costly than its maintenance; a typology of state–IFO cooperation models. It is demonstrated that subjectivity anchored exclusively in legal guarantees remains reversible – statutes are repealed by a simple parliamentary majority, institutions weaken under pressure – whereas embedding analytical mechanisms into the digital infrastructure of public administration makes reversion to asymmetric dependence technically and reputationally more costly than forward movement. The empirical base covers a retrospective analysis of the transformational cycles of Poland, South Korea, Israel, and Chile (1985–2026) along a unified scheme. The common denominator of the four trajectories is identified: in no case did the transition from borrower to partner precede the establishment of an independent analytical institution (KDI in Korea, DIPRES in Chile, the Fiscal Council in Poland, the Bruno team in Israel) – it functions as the precondition, not the consequence, of macroeconomic stabilisation. Three strategic conversions are proposed for Ukraine: the transformation of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration mechanism into joint management with the G7; replacement of IMF conditionality with voluntary implementation of the EU acquis communautaire; conversion of defence-technological potential into high-technology exports. Each conversion is secured by a digital lock integrated into DREAM, ProZorro, and the Reform Tracker. A four-pillar institutional architecture united by a digital framework is substantiated
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References
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