Economic resilience, social dialogue and democracy in wartime: Challenges for Ukraine

Economic resilience, social dialogue and democracy in wartime: Critical reflections on the challenges facing Ukraine’s economy
An interview with Dr Luke Cooper for LRT, the Lithuanian public broadcaster

States at war tend to centralise their economies. This allows investment, labour and economic resources to be directed to the demands of the war. Ukraine is currently doing the opposite, pursuing liberalisation and economic deregulation, while attempting to fight a war of self-defence. This may undermine its war effort and even risk the unity and stability of the state.

In this translation of an interview with Dr Luke Cooper by LRT, the Lithuanian public broadcaster, Dr Cooper argues that recent labour market reforms and extensive privatisation by the Ukrainian government represent a repetition of economic mistakes made after the collapse of the Soviet Union.