Інституційні трансформації багаторівневого врядування в Україні в умовах євроінтеграції та воєнних викликів

Abstract

Abstract. The article examines the institutional transformations of multi-level governance in Ukraine in the context of European integration and wartime challenges. The study focuses on the structural changes in the territorial organization of public authority resulting from decentralization reform and assesses their compliance with the principles of the European multi-level governance (MLG) model. It is argued that decentralization has created institutional prerequisites for a polycentric system of public authority, particularly at the local level, by expanding the powers, resources, and decision-making autonomy of territorial communities. At the same time, the absence of synchronized institutional transformations at the subregional and regional levels has resulted in structural asymmetry and institutional inconsistency within the territorial organization of public authority. Particular attention is paid to the incomplete institutional transformation of regional governance, the limited role of oblast councils, the preservation of centralized administrative practices, and the uncertain institutional status of the subregional level. The article also examines how wartime conditions have intensified the tension between the need for centralized decision-making in the security sphere and the principles of decentralization and local autonomy. The analysis demonstrates that Ukraine has developed an institutionally incomplete and hybrid model that combines elements of decentralization and polycentrism with persistent centralized practices. The article substantiates the need for a systemic transformation of the territorial organization of public authority based on subsidiarity, decentralization, polycentricity, network coordination, accountability, and institutionalized interaction between different levels and sectors. Multi-level governance is considered a strategic framework for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine’s public authority and for strengthening its institutional compatibility with the European governance space.