Ukraine – back to where we started from
It’s been two turbulent anti-corruption weeks in Ukraine. The world has been watching with some disbelief as well as hope, as anti-corruption forces took to the streets, in the midst of a horrific war and many news outlets reported on this, including Politico EU . The basis for all of the turmoil was that the government tried to take away the independence of two anti-corruption institutions, under the guise that the agencies were being infiltrated by Russian agents. The law was to have the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) come under the Prosecutor General’s office, which has been known to be ineffective, corrupt and political over the past ten years. The President, voicing the argument of Russian infiltration, signed the law and within hours protests occurred. The EU also responded, letting the Ukrainian government that they would impose financial sanctions. Additionally, as Politico noted, “Lawmakers in the Ukrainian parliament decisively supported Zelenskyy’s new bill on Thursday, after domestic protests — and a backlash from Brussels — helped shoot down a previous bill that would have kneecapped corruption watchdogs.”
Why is this so important? What has been shown is that political action can work and continues to be so important in anti-corruption, as it is in so many other arenas. The other important element regarding this issue was that international press outlets were loudly reporting it as well as reporting on the ongoing protests. Additionally, with so much publicity on the Parliament’s actions, as well as the President’s agreement, the donors took notice, and they noted quite clearly their concerns. All of this created the scenario which encouraged the government to review their decision and go back to supporting the independence of the anti-corruption agencies. Ultimately, the peaceful protest approach worked, yet one asks, was it necessary? And to that, we can all say yes, as it reminded everyone that anti-corruption is important enough to the citizens of Ukraine, in the midst of a horrific war came to the streets to show their support of those agencies, and that their independence was so important. The citizens of Ukraine spoke, and their government listened. We should all look at this and find ways to incorporate this spirit in our work.
Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/world/europe/ukraine-corruption-agencies-parliament.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/07/31/ukraine-anticorruption-law-zelensky-protests/
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/31/europe/ukraine-anti-corruption-agencies-law-latam-intl