«CONFESSIONAL DEMOCRACY» IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL PROCESSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

This article examines the phenomenon of confessional democracy as a special form of political system in the Middle East. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the relationship between religious institutions and democratic processes in the region, as well as to the assessment of the effectiveness of this model in the context of modern political challenges. The novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of "confessional democracy" as a specific form of political system in the Middle Eastern states, taking into account the religious and communal structure of society in the formation of government bodies. The main objective of the study is to identify the features of the functioning of confessional democracy in the political systems of the Middle East and determine its impact on the stability of state institutions in the context of interfaith tension. The purpose of the article is to conduct a systemic analysis of the model of confessional democracy as a tool for ensuring political representation of various religious communities and a mechanism for achieving interfaith balance in the political system of the Middle Eastern states. Research methods include institutional and comparative political analysis, a systems approach, as well as methods of historical reconstruction. The results of the study demonstrate that confessional democracy, despite a number of internal contradictions, serves as an effective mechanism for ensuring political stability in multi-confessional societies of the Middle East, promoting the institutionalization of interreligious dialogue and the prevention of confessional conflicts through guaranteed representation of religious communities in government bodies.