Judicial reform and corruption: why Ukraine risks losing its chance to join the EU

Ukraine is significantly lagging behind in implementing the reforms needed to advance on the path to membership in the European Union. According to public experts, progress in implementing European integration changes is only 15 points out of 100.

This is reported by The Economist .

The article “Ukraine needs the EU to force it to reform” notes that despite record financial and military support from the EU, Ukraine is not implementing the necessary legislative and institutional changes within the specified timeframe . The partners’ biggest concerns relate to the judicial system, the fight against corruption, and ensuring the rule of law.

The authors recall that on July 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Kyiv the launch of a program to support the joint production of drones and long-range weapons.

The financing is worth 10 billion euros, part of the EU’s overall loan support package of 90 billion euros. At the same time, according to the publication, diplomatic statements are raising concerns about the pace of reforms in Ukraine.

In June, Ukraine officially launched negotiations on the first negotiation cluster, which covers the rule of law, democracy, anti-corruption, and public administration. However, the government has submitted only a portion of the planned legislative package, and the parliament has not adopted all the necessary documents.

The greatest concern, according to the publication, is the state of judicial reform . Attention is drawn to the resonant events of recent months, as well as criticism of certain legislative changes regarding the declaration of assets of judges. In addition, reforms of the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor’s Office, which the European Union considers key, are not progressing.

As journalists note, survey results indicate that the biggest obstacle for foreign investors is not security issues, but the lack of a predictable rule of law . At the same time, about three-quarters of Ukrainians do not trust the courts, and experts emphasize that without an independent judicial system, it will be difficult to attract significant investments for the country’s post-war reconstruction.

Despite the lag in the implementation of certain reforms, the European Union continues to provide financial support to Ukraine. The seventh tranche of aid was transferred even without fulfilling some of the reform commitments, as Brussels does not want to weaken support for a country that is waging a war against Russia.

At the same time, political analysts quoted by the publication believe that an approach to fulfilling only the minimum necessary requirements is being formed within the Ukrainian authorities . In their opinion, this allows them to demonstrate progress in less important areas, while postponing the implementation of the most complex reforms.

It is noted that after losing the single-party majority, it became more difficult for the authorities to make unpopular decisions. At the same time, the publication’s interlocutors emphasize that on key issues, the state leadership has already demonstrated the ability to quickly secure the necessary support in parliament.

Despite the difficulties, the majority of Ukrainians continue to support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and are positive about the demands of international partners for reforms.

By the way, at the Intergovernmental Conference between Ukraine and the European Union, Cluster 6 of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, entitled “Foreign Relations”, was officially opened .

Previously, “Pryamiy” reported on the EU’s decision to open the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine – “Fundamentals”. It covers issues of the rule of law, the judicial system, the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as the functioning of democratic institutions.

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