GLOBAL DIGITALIZATION AS A CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ORDER: A POLITICAL-INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

This article presents a political-institutional analysis of global digitalization as both a systemic challenge and a potential opportunity for transforming the international democratic order. The study aims to identify the mechanisms through which digital technologies artificial intelligence, big data, digital platforms, and blockchain affect the legitimacy, accountability, and inclusiveness of global governance. A systemic approach and methods of institutional analysis are applied, supplemented by a discursive interpretation of geopolitical competition among major actors. The research identifies four key threats to the democratic international order: declining governance transparency, the growing power of transnational corporations, digital authoritarianism, and manipulative interference in democratic processes. At the same time, the study demonstrates that digital tools can enhance democratic legitimacy through mechanisms of e-democracy, open data platforms, digital diplomacy, and innovative models for the protection of human rights. The theoretical value of the study lies in conceptualizing a new paradigm of digital legitimacy, while the practical significance is found in formulating approaches to modernizing international institutions in response to digital transformations. The scientific novelty lies in the integration of political and technological perspectives in the study of global order. Future research directions include ethical AI regulation, digital diplomacy of small states, and global co-regulation models for Big Tech. This is a theoretical article.