In Kyiv, the study “Overview of Democratic Institutions in Ukraine During Wartime” was presented. The research was conducted by Democracy Reporting International in cooperation with the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform and the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition, with support from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

The report analyzes the performance of Ukraine’s key democratic institutions — Parliament, the Government, the judiciary, local self-government, civil society, and the media. It also addresses challenges to the electoral process and the protection of human rights during wartime.

Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine continues to demonstrate resilience and commitment to democratic values. Of course, Russia’s unprecedented war against Ukraine poses additional challenges to democracy. For instance, holding elections under martial law is not possible. However, legal preparations for post-war elections must begin now — to build public trust in the process and ensure participation for all citizens, including military personnel and internally displaced persons. Martial law has also intensified institutional imbalance, highlighting the need to clearly regulate interactions between the President, Government, and Parliament.

Olga Lymar, Executive Director of the RPR Coalition, noted: “There are institutional challenges: how to preserve democracy, how to make decisions, reach consensus or compromise — because democracy doesn’t always offer obvious paths. This requires effort. Especially when it comes to the largest military conflict since World War II — happening in Ukraine. There are also broader challenges: we must recognize the need to remain a democratic state, to value democracy — especially against the backdrop of growing influence and consolidation of authoritarian regimes.”

Democracy in Ukraine can be strengthened through concrete actions and legislative changes, believes Oleksandr Korniienko, First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: “There are specific systemic steps that must be taken — some are already mentioned in the report. We supported — and I personally supported — a bill to amend current legislation on public consultations, particularly in cooperation with MPs. It will be difficult to implement this without civil society participation. Yes, there are procedural challenges… but I believe we can find models that can be realistically adapted to our Parliament.”

The need to improve legislation on public consultations was also highlighted by Olena Shuliak, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional Development, and Urban Planning: “There’s a certain procedure when a draft law is registered — and public consultations are conducted. But then, within 14 days, dozens of alternative draft laws can be registered — many of which have nothing to do with what was discussed in consultations. There is still no clear solution for how to regulate this, or what the proper procedure should be. But we propose launching a series of discussions through our Committee to find answers.”

Despite the challenges, the report confirms that Parliament, the Government, courts, and local self-government are functioning — and Ukraine’s progress toward EU integration reaffirms its commitment to democracy. “For us, this report is a powerful advocacy tool in support of our European integration path. We must understand that the Fundamentals cluster is key — because the EU’s enlargement methodology is a two-way street: any regression in reforms leads to setbacks in negotiations. That said, I believe we’ve started off strong and have a real chance to prove we can meet all our obligations to the EU. This is our window of opportunity,” concluded Viktoriia Melnyk, European Integration Program Coordinator at the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform.

Furthermore, the lessons of a democracy at war are already drawing attention from Ukraine’s partners, added Stanislav Liachynskyi, Director of Democracy Reporting International in Ukraine: “Of course, in other countries these threats may take hybrid forms, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore or postpone dealing with them. We are convinced: Ukraine’s experience matters — not only for us, but for the international community and our European partners.”

You can watch the full recording of the presentation at the link provided.

This event was organized within the framework of the project “Democratic Integration, Resilience, and Engagement” (Ukraine-DARE) implemented by Democracy Reporting International (DRI) in partnership with the Reanimation Package of Reforms Coalition and the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform, with financial support from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The views and opinions expressed during the event do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.