CONFIDENCE IN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AS A FACTOR INFLUENCING THE PARTY SYSTEM OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF A FULL-SCALE WAR AGAINST THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

One of the key indicators of the efficiency of political parties and the state of the party system in general is the level of public trust in these institutions. However, according to the results of sociological research, the level of trust in political parties in Ukraine remains quite low. Russian aggression, which began in 2014, had a significant impact on all spheres of life in Ukraine, including the country’s political system. The full-scale invasion, which began on February 24, 2022, was an even greater upheaval that affected society and, in particular, the level of trust in various institutions. As a result of the study, it was established that the level of trust in political parties in Ukraine during the full-scale war remains one of the lowest among political and social institutions. Although in 2022 there was a significant increase in trust in law enforcement agencies and certain authorities, for political parties this effect was less pronounced and did not last long. Already in the second year of the full-scale war, the level of trust in the parties decreased and became lower than in 2021. The emergence of new political parties, in particular those founded by the military, before the next parliamentary elections can increase trust in political parties. At the same time, the majority of respondents do not support holding elections during the war. Also, more than a third of the respondents continue to support the existing political parties, believing that they are sufficient to meet public expectations. For the incumbent parties, the way to increase trust can be the development of political education, educational activities to increase the public’s awareness of politics, as well as effective communication with voters in order to overcome negative stereotypes.