During the lecture, Inna Sovsun outlined the constitutional foundations of martial law and the Verkhovna Rada’s responsibility for maintaining democratic oversight while the country remains under Russian attack. She discussed the parliament’s decision to postpone elections, the balance between civil liberties and urgent security needs, and the continued importance of public trust, political pluralism, and accountability during conflict.
Sovsun unpacked these dynamics with relevant examples, emphasising that democratic scrutiny has not been suspended under martial law. In fact, recent corruption cases in Ukraine were uncovered by Ukrainian institutions, journalists, and civil society - underscoring that oversight remains active despite wartime constraints. These developments, she said, demonstrate that accountability mechanisms still function in practice and that public expectations of transparency remain high.
In Sovsun’s assessment, the crucial role played by Ukrainian civil society in driving these cases forward and in holding the government to account is one of the clearest indications that the country’s democratic foundations remain resilient even in wartime.
The discussion was chaired by the department’s Dr Hillary Briffa and moderated by Aliona Hlivco, political scientist, founder of the St. James’s Foreign Policy Group.
About the speaker
Inna Sovsun is a Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and a leading advocate for education reform, human rights, and democratic governance. She previously served as Deputy Minister of Education and Science, where she played a central role in modernising national education policy and enhancing institutional transparency. She has been a lecturer in political science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy since 2010. Sovsun has been a prominent international voice on Ukraine’s democratic resilience throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion. She is a graduate of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and Lund University.