Today, in the offices of the Central Election Commission and the meeting halls of parliamentary working groups, discussions about electoral legislation are in full swing. We discuss registries, security protocols, observer accreditation, and changes in local election commissions. However, behind this legal facade lies an existential question: what kind of country will we build after the war ends?
We face a choice: either we simply return to the “pre-war model” with its chronic flaws, or we finally build a Republic — a space of freedom, law, and responsibility.
The Main Challenge: The “Welfare State” Trap For decades, Ukraine has tried to combine independence with a left-wing populist legacy. Our Constitution and legislation are permeated with the spirit of social democracy, where the state promises “everything to everyone” but in fact only inflates the bureaucratic apparatus and restricts individual freedom. This leftist ideology has created a “consumer-voter” who waits for subsidies instead of a Citizen-Owner who dictates terms to the state. Post-war elections in such a system risk becoming an “auction of unseen generosity” in a devastated country, leading to ultimate bankruptcy.
Republican Reboot The ideal solution is a transition to the Republic in its classical sense (Res publica — a common cause). This is a form of government where:
- Personal freedom is the highest value, and private property is inviolable.
- Power is limited not only by laws but also by common sense and citizen rights.
- The state is a “night watchman,” not a kindergarten teacher.
This is a shift from the “left” model of wealth distribution to the “right” model of creating opportunities. It is classical liberalism in the economy and conservatism in matters of security, sovereignty, and the moral foundations of society.
How will we know the reform succeeded?
- Citizen Subjectivity: The voter understands they are not “asking” the state for favors but are hiring it.
- Institutional Strength: The electoral system is protected from manipulation, and courts from political influence.
- Economic Freedom: Ukraine rises to the top 10 global rankings for ease of doing business.
Why other paths won’t work?
- Continuing the Leftist Course: Will lead to total depopulation and economic degradation. People will not return to a country where their taxes dissolve in an inefficient system.
- Authoritarianism: Will destroy innovative potential and make us resemble the very systems we are moving away from.
Necessary Resources and Timeframes We need not only finances but intellectual mobilization. The development of a comprehensive modernization program for the country and its constitutional changes must happen right now. The time limit is strict: the window of opportunity will open at the moment of a ceasefire and close 6–12 months after the first post-war elections. If we don’t lay the republican foundation then, we lose the future.
Realistic Forecast The path to the Republic will be thorny. However, the experience of the United States — where human freedom and property rights became the engine of progress — is our best guide. Ukraine will either become a Republic of free and responsible owners or remain an object of geopolitical games.
We choose the Republic. This is our common cause.