The second anniversary of the beginning of the Great War is approaching. Two years of resistance, two years of war for the right to simply be. To be a state that determines its own path. Ukraine has chosen it: the path to freedom, the path to democracy, and the path to Europe.

That is why, on the verge of the anniversary of February 24, it is time to think about what the coming year of resistance should look like – not only militarily, but also politically.

We asked the representatives of the Coalition what key policy priorities they see for 2024 to ensure that Ukraine continues its development as a democratic, European state.

Yulia Kyrychenko, Co-Chair of the RPR Coalition Board, Member of the Board of the Center for Political and Legal Reforms

Civil service reform has become a hot topic in all institutions. Everyone mentions the lack of expert potential and the need for qualified specialists in various fields. And, indeed, such experts do exist. Civil service reform is needed.

The next fundamental cluster without which we cannot make significant long-term progress is judicial reform. If we look at the European integration track, we seem to have completed it. But the question is how exactly it is being implemented. For example, how to recruit judges to fill vacancies. Judicial reform is also about what kind of people will come to the courts. And this is the most important thing for us as a society, because our trust in the courts depends on it.

And then there’s law enforcement reform. This is another painful topic. For example, everyone says: “We have police reform”. But these statements reflect only the external appearance, not the real changes. In fact, this is not a complete reform. It is important for all law enforcement agencies to make real changes.

Ihor Burakovsky, Co-Chairman of the RPR Coalition Board, Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting

We, Ukrainians, and our allies must be active. Our actions – big and small – should be aimed at realizing three main interrelated priorities.

Priority number 1 is to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities. This means responsible and efficient use of defense budget funds, creation of conditions for the development of the national defense industry, and the formation of an effective policy of social protection of military personnel and social adaptation of veterans.

Priority No. 2 is to ensure the country’s economic stability. To do this, Ukraine needs large-scale international assistance, for which the country must fulfill the conditions for the provision of financial resources, which include changes in economic policy, public administration and the regulatory environment.  

Priority 3 is accountability and transparency. In times of fateful historical trials, issues of justice become particularly acute in society. In Ukraine today, this means fighting corruption, reforming the law enforcement system, unconditional compliance with the current legislation, effective assistance to socially vulnerable groups, and honest communication between the government and society. 

Olga Lymar, Executive Director of the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition

If we talk about the cross-cutting issues that are relevant for the next year (and beyond), it is, of course, integration into the EU, especially after the membership negotiation process starts. 

Any legislative decision now has to go through an analysis of how well it will comply with EU practices. And our main task is to harmonize it with the Acquis Communautaire, the legal system of the European Union. That is why we are returning to what Yulia mentioned above: the civil service reform and the extent to which the Government, as the main subject of public policy making, has the capacity to cover such a huge amount of work.

I would like to reiterate that this cannot be implemented without the involvement of all stakeholders and the use of the potential of civil society. And for this purpose, it is necessary to create effective legal instruments for such involvement, including the instrument of public consultations, which is a common practice in EU member states. 

This publication was prepared by the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the Ukraine Responsible and Accountable Policy Project (U-RAP) implemented by the National Democratic Institute. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.