ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARISM AND CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IN UKRAINE’S EU INTEGRATION

Abstract

Good governance and economic sustainability are fundamental prerequisites for Ukraine’s successful integration into the European Union. In the context of martial law and accelerated Europeanisation, the effectiveness of parliamentary institutions and constitutional accountability mechanisms is crucial for ensuring long-term economic resilience and protecting constitutional freedoms. This article examines how parliamentarism and constitutional responsibility influence good governance and economic sustainability in Ukraine’s EU accession process. Drawing on the doctrinal concept of constitutional freedom as the axiological foundation of Ukrainian constitutionalism, the study analyses the interaction between parliamentary institutions, constitutional accountability mechanisms and economic governance. The research employs doctrinal analysis, an institutional approach, a comparative legal method and an examination of EU enlargement policy documents. Despite notable legislative reforms aimed at increasing transparency and public participation, the findings demonstrate that martial law has resulted in the centralisation of executive power and a significant weakening of parliamentary oversight. This has given rise to a hybrid institutional model in which formal alignment with EU standards coexists with reduced constitutional accountability and fewer safeguards for constitutional freedoms. These imbalances in the institutional landscape increase policy uncertainty, reduce investor confidence and threaten long-term economic sustainability. The article argues that constitutional responsibility should be understood as both a set of sanctions and a value-based instrument for safeguarding constitutional freedom and ensuring credible democratic governance. Reducing governance risks and building sustainable economic institutions requires strengthening parliamentary accountability and aligning constitutional responsibility mechanisms with EU standards. The study provides practical recommendations for enhancing institutional resilience during wartime and the subsequent reconstruction period. It emphasises that Ukraine can only achieve the protection of constitutional freedom and the economic sustainability required for full European integration by embedding constitutional responsibility as a living and enforceable value.