Ukraine Fighting for Democracy Shall Protect the Exercise of Political Rights for Citizens – Aivazovska

Ukrainians have a neutral attitude towards their compatriots who went abroad and those who stay in Ukraine. The most favorable attitude is expressed towards those who joined the army and stopped consuming Russian content, while the most negative attitude is towards those who evade military service and consume Russian information products.

Elections are impossible under martial law. However, this is the time to work on cases from previous campaigns. 

Due to Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, huge numbers of Ukrainian citizens were forced to leave their homes and went abroad in search of shelter. In response to an information request from the Civil Network OPORA, the Department of Consular Service reported that according to estimates of foreign diplomatic missions in Ukraine, as of May 2024, about 7.6 million Ukrainian citizens were staying outside Ukraine. This creates risks of integration of our citizens abroad and loss of communication with Ukraine, including through the acquisition of foreign citizenship. Therefore, OPORA continues to study the impact of forced migration and its consequences to develop an effective policy of repatriation of Ukrainian people.

The Electoral Code adopted in 2019 guarantees the accessibility of the election process for people with disabilities and low-mobility citizens. However, polling stations in Ukraine still remain non-inclusive, while the number of people with disabilities is growing due to Russian aggression against Ukraine, with infrastructure being destroyed. 

OPORA analyst Olha Snopok presented a study on the impact of Russian cultural policy on Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories and attempts to influence Ukrainian identity on September 26, during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Civil Network OPORA (Ukraine), in close cooperation with the Institut für Europäische Politik (Berlin), launch the project “Pathways to Progress: Germany-Ukraine Dialogues on Rule of Law for EU Accession.” The project promotes political dialogue between Kyiv, Berlin, and Brussels on the rule of law and fundamental values in the EU integration process.

Maintaining public trust in state institutions is of key importance in times of war, given that the lack of public confidence in the government contributes to societal polarization. Critical reporting and self-censorship by mass media are among the factors that have an impact on the level of public trust. Therefore, it is essential that every Ukrainian media outlet answers the question of what is the meaning of political process in a country without elections. This statement was made by the chair of the board of Civil Network OPORA Olha Aivazovska, who acted as a moderator of panel discussion “Media’s responsibility for achieving a sustainable society: mass media serving as the fourth estate” at the National Media Talk held on September 20, 2024.

According to various estimates, up to 20% of Ukraine's population may now be abroad. However, the Ukrainian state and international institutions that calculate migration publish different data. To systematically receive updates on this information, compare it chronologically, and monitor migration trends, Civil Network OPORA created a dashboard.