Public authority and civil society in Ukraine under martial state
Abstract
The article is devoted to the consideration of the relationship between public authorities and civil society under the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine. It is stated that the relationship between public authorities has significantly transformed in connection with the introduction of martial law. The armed Russian aggression against Ukraine has determined changes in the scope of powers between state authorities and local self-government bodies. In regions close to the combat zone, there is a narrowing of the functions and powers of local self-government bodies. In regions that are remote from the zone of hostilities and, accordingly, are safer, local government bodies have broader powers. That is, public authorities under martial law have undergone significant transformations in terms of their powers, functions, and tasks.
The change in the balance of powers in public authorities in the context of Russian armed aggression also determined (depending on the status of a particular territory) a change in the relationship between the authorities and civil society.
Due to the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine, it is impossible to conduct election campaigns. That is, it is impossible to renew power in a democratic way. Accordingly, the issue of the legitimacy of public authorities has become important. The level of legitimacy of government is determined, in particular, by the level of trust in key government leaders by those in power. That is, trust in certain representatives of public authority is mostly converted into trust in the government institutions they represent. Accordingly, the level of legitimacy of power in society is increasing.
In order to create a climate of trust between public authorities and civil society structures under martial law, authorities should adjust strategies for cooperation with civil society. Such strategies may differ depending on the region, they may have their own specifics of interaction. This specificity is determined by the status of the relevant territory: a combat zone, or a zone of possible combat operations, or a conditionally safe territory of Ukraine, etc.
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