Publikacje

US President Donald Trump has called Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine who is defending his country against a Russian invasion, a „dictator without elections”. The US administration is said to be pushing for the organisation of presidential elections in Ukraine, which have not taken place in 2024 due to the armed conflict throughout the country and the ongoing martial law. An analysis by Olha Aivazovska (chair of the board of the civil rights organisation OPORA and expert in electoral law and political processes) shows the true state of Ukrainian democracy during the war.

Olha Aivazovska explains the legal and factual reasons why no presidential elections were held in Ukraine in 2024, even though Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term had ended. She also cites a study according to which the percentage of Ukrainian citizens who were against holding elections during the active phase of the war in October 2023 was 81%, while in May 2024 it was 74%. Only 24% of citizens support the idea of holding elections during the war.

As the Aivazovska shows, even without elections, Ukraine has a structured system of citizen participation in governance during wartime, which is not so visible against the backdrop of military threats, but prevents any political figure from becoming an authoritarian leader. It is also important to note that Ukraine is an unprecedented case of a developed representative democracy forced to simultaneously fight for the country’s survival, adhere to standards regarding potential post-war elections and implement an ambitious package of fundamental reforms necessary for accession to the European Union.