«Під безпечним дахом шаліє хуртовина обструкції»: нова тактика українського представництва в галицькому сеймі на початку ХХ століття

The article analyzes the discussions around the parliamentary struggle in Galicia in the early 20th century. The loud obstruction by Ukrainian deputies in the Galician Diet, which erupted in 1910 during debates over a new electoral law, was the result of Ukrainian politicians’ search for new and more effective methods to influence political decisions. The article argued that the obstruction, borrowed from the experience of the Czech-German opposition, was directed against the domination of the Polish factor in the Galician autonomy. The aggravation tactics of political struggle were consistent with the public sentiments of Galician Ukrainians, who were observing further radicalization.

The last years of Andrzej Potocki’s tenure as governor of Galicia were characterized by intensifying Ukrainian-Polish tensions, largely driven by electoral reforms in the Austrian Parliament and increasing mass protests. Despite these tensions, Potocki persisted in attempting to contain the Ukrainian movement through administrative and political pressure. This tactic climaxed to his support of Russophiles over the candidates from Ukrainian parties in the elections to the Galician Diet in 1908 in response to the negotiations between Ukrainian parliament members and the Austrian government. The disturbance caused by such a step not only among the Ukrainian public, but also among the ruling circles of Austria-Hungary and Cracow conservatives, forced the governor to recognize his fallacy and initiate a political agreement with Ukrainian politicians represented by Eugene Olesnytskyi that was meant to be like a «new era» in 1890 and had high chances of influencing the political life in Galicia, but was not implemented because of Potocki’s assassination committed.

The article argued that this murder was the culmination of the Ukrainian-Polish collision in Galicia and forced ones to think about ways of normalizing the international relations. Polish Galician politicians, who had balanced service to the Habsburg Monarchy with the defense of Polish national interests, were compelled to explore solutions to the «Ukrainian issue». Through an analysis of the events on the eve of obstruction, a number of private circumstances and motives involved in it politicians, as well as relationships between them, the article argued that the decision was taken Ukrainian moderately liberal leaders to start obstruction and caused no objections heads of administration and government of Galicia with environment Krakow’ conservatives. Faced with increasingly radical sentiments, these political actors used the obstruction to engage in behind-the-scenes negotiations. This strategy temporarily mitigated interethnic tensions and allowed proponents of a Polish-Ukrainian agreement to delay strengthening of interethnic tensions.