Ihor Onyschuk, a Polaris Expert, participated in the 20th annual “Kyiv Dialogue” conference, held in Berlin. The event, organised by the German NGO European Exchange in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, focused on the resilience of Ukrainian hromadas, the development of local self-governance, and the implementation of the decentralisation reform during wartime.
During the panel discussion “Decentralisation vs. Re-centralisation: State of Local Democracy in Wartimes,” moderated by Polaris International Expert Krzysztof Stanowski, Ihor Onyschuk emphasised that Ukraine’s decentralisation reform has proven its effectiveness even under the most challenging conditions of war. Thanks to autonomy and financial capacity, hromadas have become a reliable pillar of the state, ensuring security, supporting the population, and maintaining effective governance.
The expert also highlighted temporary challenges posed by martial law, including certain elements of re-centralisation, stressing that these measures are of a temporary nature. At the same time, the continuation of reforms, the development of investment management tools, and the active role of hromadas remain key to Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
The recording of the panel discussion is available via the link.
