Specific features of public authority functioning in Ukraine under martial law: legitimation aspect

Abstract

The article is devoted to identifying the features of the functioning of public authorities in Ukraine under martial law. Public authorities include local self-government bodies and state authorities (executive authorities). In Ukraine, under war conditions, new practices of interaction between public authorities (local self-government and state authorities), on the one hand, and between civil society and public authorities, on the other hand, are being formed. The theoretical and methodological foundations of the study were general scientific methods of cognition in considering the issues of public authorities in Ukraine, in particular, analytical, empirical, comparative, descriptive. The research methods are also based on the principles of historical, systemic, structural and functional analysis. The type of interaction in the formation of regional policy between local deputies (local self-government bodies) and local military administrations (state authorities) has significantly changed. Currently, there are no uniform practices of interaction throughout Ukraine between public authorities. After all, depending on the status of the territory (front-line, near-frontline, remote from the front), the mechanisms of interaction between public authorities are also transformed. In addition, an important problem in the functioning of public authorities in Ukraine under martial law is the problem of the legitimacy of government bodies. In the absence of opportunities in wartime to reboot the power system through elections, the problem of developing strategies for legitimizing government institutions is very important. There is a high demand from civil society structures for public authorities regarding the formation of national-patriotic policy. Therefore, public authorities should develop strategies to strengthen national identity (not regional). Accordingly, national identity can become a significant factor for the legitimization of government bodies in the absence of elections.