Souspilnist Foundation, alongside human rights organizations, media outlets, and journalists, has stated that the lack of journalists’ access to the Verkhovna Rada is detrimental to democracy.
The large-scale armed aggression initiated by Russia in February 2022 had a significant impact on various aspects of society and institutions. The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada was no exception. In fact, immediately following the onset of the invasion, access to parliamentary sessions and corridors was closed off to journalists. The meetings of almost all committees shifted online, excluding the participation of experts from civil society organizations. Access to certain information on the Verkhovna Rada’s website and parliamentary committees became restricted. For instance, information such as the list of people’s deputies, committee contacts, and meeting agendas disappeared. Although some of this information (e.g., the MP and committee member lists) has since been restored on the official parliamentary website, the Verkhovna Rada still remains relatively closed off to the media and the public.
In 2022, imposing restrictions could have been justified by national security interests and the need for the safety of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada. However, Parliament’s continued operation in a closed mode in 2024, after nearly two years since the onset of the widespread invasion and ten years since the start of the conflict with Russia, raises several questions.
The absence of journalists’ access to the Verkhovna Rada is detrimental to democracy. It makes little sense to discuss the danger of media presence in the parliamentary chamber when society learns about the progress and outcomes of bill discussions from direct live broadcasts by MPs on social media. Furthermore, Parliament is too large, in terms of the number of people involved, for its sessions to go unnoticed.
Hence, rather than persisting with the current practice of restricting journalists’ access to the parliamentary building, it would be more productive to engage in discussions regarding security measures, such as preparing shelters.
Allowing journalists access to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the advance publication of the list of bills scheduled for consideration would provide the Ukrainian public with crucial information.
It is equally important that representatives of civil society have the opportunity to participate in parliamentary committee meetings and express their positions on registered bills and initiatives that need to be developed.
A sign of preserving democracy during wartime will be the return of the public’s ability to communicate with people’s deputies in a clear and transparent manner. The media should have the opportunity to inform society about the issues being discussed by the country’s legislative body and the arguments presented during these discussions. Parliament’s openness entails making information about its procedures accessible to the public and creating conditions for meaningful communication between Ukrainian MPs and Ukrainian society.
On the opening day of the eleventh session of the Verkhovna Rada of the IX convocation, we call upon Parliament to return to ensuring the principles of openness in its activities, specifically:
- Enable the presence of journalists during the sessions of the Verkhovna Rada and facilitate their communication with Ukrainian MPs in the parliamentary corridors.
- Publish the meeting agendas of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in advance.
- Promote and support the involvement of civil society organizations in the meetings of the committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should once again become a place for discussions, free communication and media work, and for finding solutions to the complex challenges facing the Ukrainian State due to Russia’s armed aggression. While ensuring security measures, such openness in Parliament will enhance the public’s trust in its activities and promote active collaboration between civil society organizations and people’s deputies.