INTRODUCTION Ò There is demand for systemic reform in Ukrainian society. The majority of citizens believe that these changes must be initiated by the country’s leadership, primarily by the president. DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS Ò Healthcare reform, police reform and REFORM IN UKRAINE: decentralisation are the most widely known reforms launched since the Revolution of Dignity. Some 82.9%, CHANGE FOR THE BETTER 72.2% and 61.8% of the population have heard about them. However, only 15.3%, 20.6% and 32.6%, respective- OR AN IMITATION ly have had a positive experience with OF PROGRESS? the results of these reforms Ò Most citizens consider compromise for Svitlana Balyuk, Nataliya Klauning, the sake of peace and the settlement Lyudmyla Chetvertukhina, Maria Koval-Honchar of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine unacceptable. Citizens are of the April 2020 opinion that the most undesirable de- velopments for Ukraine would include the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, the transfer of control of Ukraine’s gas transportation to Russia and a full amnesty for militants in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). 1 DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS REFORM IN UKRAINE: CHANGE FOR THE BETTER OR AN IMITATION OF PROGRESS? Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 METHODOLOGY 4 3 KEY FINDINGS 5 3.1. UKRAINIAN PUBLIC OPINION REGARDING THE SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY ....................................5 3.2. WHAT UKRAINIANS UNDERSTAND BY THE NOTION OF »REFORM« ..................................................6 3.3. CONDITIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE REFORMS AND THE DRIVING FORCES OF CHANGE .....6 3.4. REFORMS AND THE POPULATION’S STANDARD OF LIVING .............................................................11 3.5. HOW UKRAINIANS RATE REFORMS INTRODUCED SINCE INDEPENDENCE .......................................13 3.6. REFORMS INTRODUCED BY PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY’S TEAM .....................................16 3.7. CITIZENS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS KEY SECTORAL REFORMS ............................................................20 3.7.1. Healthcare reform ..........................................................................................................................20 3.7.2. Local self-government and decentralisation reform .........................................................................23 3.7.3. Land reform ....................................................................................................................................25 3.7.4. Privatisation of state-owned companies ..........................................................................................26 3.7.5. Police reform ..................................................................................................................................26 3.7.6. Legalisation of gambling and amber extraction ...............................................................................26 3.7.7. Pension reform ...............................................................................................................................27 3.7.8. Reform of labour law ......................................................................................................................29 3.7.9. Tax reform ......................................................................................................................................29 3.8. WAYS OF SETTLING THE CONFLICT IN DONBAS ..............................................................................30 4 CONCLUSIONS 31 1 FRIEDRICH EBERT FOUNDATION – REFORM IN UKRAINE: CHANGE FOR THE BETTER OR AN IMITATION OF PROGRESS? 2 INTRODUCTION 1 INTRODUCTION In Ukraine, the word »reform« has become a buzzword, However, 2019 saw power change hands following the a term that is fashionable to use but often devoid of spe- presidential and parliamentary elections. As a result, cific meaning. This development is a result of repeated Ukraine now has a new president, a new government and announcements of reforms made by government officials a new parliament. Reform continues to be a priority issue since Ukrainian independence (and even in its final years for the new team. as part of the Soviet Union), which were ultimately never implemented or did not achieve their goals. In this situation, it is important to gauge how the public perceives the reforms that were launched or announced in At the same time, Ukraine requires numerous urgent the past five years. For those who are responsible for devel- changes, on which its very existence as a state depends. oping and implementing systemic changes in the country, These changes must go beyond declarations and bring an understanding of what Ukrainians think about reform, about genuine transformation. their reasons and the consequences of this is crucial. This is an essential component of building dialogue with the We recall that the new authorities that came to power in public on the essence of and need for urgent change. 2014 after the Revolution of Dignity announced compre- hensive reforms, which reflected the expectations of the public and were supported by the West. 3 FRIEDRICH EBERT FOUNDATION – REFORM IN UKRAINE: CHANGE FOR THE BETTER OR AN IMITATION OF PROGRESS? 2 METHODOLOGY The study »Reform in Ukraine: Change for the Better or an of Ukraine: centre (Kyiv), west (Lviv), east (Dnipro), south Imitation of Progress?« was carried out by Gorshenin Insti- (Odesa) and north (Chernihiv). Eight respondents took tute and the Representation of the Friedrich Ebert Founda- part in each group (six participants from a regional centre tion in Ukraine in September-December 2019. and two from small towns in the same region). Discussion participants were Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 65. Each The object of the study: Ukrainians aged over 18, taking group comprised an equal number of men and women. into account their main social and demographic character- istics (gender, age, region of residence). The results of the focus group research were used to de- velop the questionnaire for our all-Ukrainian survey. The The subject of the study: Ukrainians’ attitudes regarding opinions expressed by participants in the discussions were the implementation of reform. also used to help us better understand the data obtained during face-to-face interviews. The goal of the study: to research Ukrainians’ attitudes to- wards reform in the country. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by respondent place of residence in November-December once the results To achieve the stated goal, the following objectives were of the focus group had been analysed. A total of 2,000 identified: respondents aged 18 and over were interviewed in all re- gions of Ukraine (excluding the occupied territories of Do- – assess the opinions of Ukrainians regarding the situa- netsk and Luhansk, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea tion in the country; and the city of Sevastopol). We used quotas for region of – establish what Ukrainian society understands by the residence, gender and age of respondent. Coverage error concept of »reform«; does not exceed +/- 2.2%. – establish how citizens rate the mechanism for the im- plementation of reform, the driving forces of change in the country, and current obstacles to reform; – establish whether Ukrainians are prepared to endure financial hardship in exchange for successful reform; – identify the most widely known reforms since Ukraine’s independence; – ascertain what citizens know about the reforms that were initiated during Petro Poroshenko’s presidency, and how they feel about them; – ascertain whether Ukrainians know which reforms President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his team intend to carry out; – establish whether Ukrainians have faith in the success of the reforms planned by President Volodymyr Zelen- skyy’s new team; – analyse how Ukrainians rate key sector reforms such as healthcare reform, decentralisation, labour law reform, pension and land reforms, etc.; – ascertain what changes Ukrainians would accept in or- der to achieve peace in Donbas. Methods of information collection. In September 2019, five focus group discussions were held in the following regions 4 KEY FINDINGS 3 KEY FINDINGS 3.1. UKRAINIAN PUBLIC OPINION RE- Residents of western Ukraine are most critical: 42.7% of them GARDING THE SITUATION believe that things are moving in the wrong direction, while IN THE COUNTRY 33.4% think the opposite. The most optimistic respondents were those living in the centre of Ukraine (47.1% of respon- dents said things were moving in the right direction and 41.3% The study has shown that Ukrainians are quite criti- felt they were moving in the wrong direction ) and the south cal of the reforms introduced by the authorities in the (45.7% gave a positive response and 39.3% responded in the years since Ukraine declared independence. Some par- negative). Further, the answers to this question differed depend- ticipants in focus group discussions suggested that the ing on the respondent’s age: young people were more likely systemic changes introduced over the 28 years since to say that things were going in the right direction (51.9%), independence could even be referred to as an »imi- whereas older respondents thought otherwise (53.5%). tation of reform« which politicians used to cream off budget funds. It is worth mentioning that, according to the nationwide study carried out by Gorshenin Institute in October 2018 At the same time, this quantitative study found that almost (n=2,000 respondents), in other words six months before half of the Ukrainians surveyed (43.7%) believe