From presidents to parliaments? Party institutionalisation and constitutional reform in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine

This article examines why hybrid regimes adopt constitutional reforms that reduce presidential powers. Comparing Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, it combines cross-case analysis with in-depth studies of reform episodes in Armenia and Georgia. The findings suggest that governing-party organisational capacity enabled reform despite limited broader party institutionalisation, while strategic incentives among presidents and governing elites shaped its timing and direction. Such reforms reveal an ambiguity in hybrid regimes: shifts away from president-centred rule may serve incumbent strategic interests in the short term while leaving open the possibility of more democratic institutional development over time.