Directions of reforming civil society and public authorities in the conditions of war in Ukraine
Authors: Pivovar М. , Kovalchuk S. 
Published: August 2022

In the current conditions of Ukraine's state of war, civil society should be considered not only as a society of free individuals, but also a society built on lawful (just) relations. It has been confirmed that the recognition of the interaction between law and justice is part of the European legal tradition. The basic element of civil society is its independent self-governing institutions, which, interacting with public authorities, perform important legitimating functions both within society and in the process of its interaction with public authorities. It is established that the institutions of civil society are the guarantors of the inviolability of personal rights of citizens, give them confidence in their abilities, serve as a support for citizens and public authorities in their possible confrontation with the enemy. They, in turn, operate on a self-governing basis within the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. The role of civil society during the full-scale war in Ukraine remains particularly relevant. In such a difficult period of our independence, every Ukrainian takes an active part in the public life of the state, joining the common victory over the enemy. The activities of foreign volunteers are becoming an important support. That is why the role of civil society is invaluable. The fate of our state in the future depends on the unity of each of us.

In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, civil society interacts with public power, a type of socio-political, sovereign, legitimate power, based on public interest and impersonal nature, expressed in the system of social, public-political, volitional relations that arise between physical and legal persons (as subjects of civil society) and bodies and officials of the state (who are endowed with power) on the basis of law and law.

At the present stage of Ukraine's development, the processes of formation of a democratic state governed by the rule of law and institutionalization of civil society are simultaneous and parallel, complementing each other. The full-scale war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, accumulated mechanisms for the formation and development of strong and coordinated cooperation between public authorities and civil society institutions. However, the path to victory is not easy, and therefore requires some reforms and improvements in such mechanisms. It is important that today the constitutionality and legitimacy of state power are fully realized in the conditions of civil society. The degree of this fullness is directly proportional to the stability of civil society institutions and the development of civil legal and political culture. Civil society is a reflection of democracy and the victory of our people over the world-famous dictator Putin. Ukrainians demonstrate unity on all fronts in the struggle against the Russian occupier, and this arouses great admiration and support in the actions of the international community. After the victory in the war with the occupier, a number of new democratic transformations await Ukrainian society, including those involving civil society institutions.