Helping the Parliament to be heard on international platforms and strengthen support for Ukraine

Supported by the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program, International IDEA organized a discussion panel "Parliament under Wartime Conditions in Action: Lessons for Ukrainian Democracy" within the framework of the Forum 2000 conference in Prague.

The discussion was moderated by Yulia Shipilova and included speakers Oleksandr Korniyenko, Serhii Kalchenko, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Alireza Akhondi, Sevgil Musaieva. The participants assessed the state of parliamentary democracy in Ukraine and summarized the experience that other parliaments around the world can learn from in case of emergencies.

"I think the most important lesson for all countries is to avoid the situation that happened to our country. We are now making every effort to make the Parliament more open. This applies to the admission of media representatives, as well as to the specifics of the work of the body itself. The hour of questions to the Government has been resumed as an important element of Parliamentary control. At the same time, a lot of work is done at the level of committees. The task is to maintain a balance of both physical security and authority," said First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko.

According to MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, it is important for the Parliament to open up even more to citizens to increase public trust, as people's support is critical to fulfilling complex European integration tasks. She warned that the authorities should not use martial law to impose unnecessary restrictions: "We are people for whom democracy and freedom are important, this is what we stand for, what we fight for."

Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of Ukrayinska Pravda, believes that today's war is also about the possibility of "continuing democratic transformations in Ukraine," so the government should be an example for citizens, showing greater transparency and responsibility. She emphasized the importance of civil society, which contributes to the democratic development of the country under martial law.

USAID RADA: Next Generation Program helps the VRU promote Ukrainian experience among its partners and, during expert discussions, find ways to strengthen the sustainability of parliamentary democracy in Ukraine.