The article examines the European standards of democracy as a key benchmark for the modernization of Ukrainian parliamentarism in the context of Ukraine’s European integration course.

The author analyses the regulatory and institutional framework for the functioning of parliaments in democratic European countries, in particular, on the examples of the European Parliament’s practice, recommendations of the Venice Commission and documents of the Council of Europe that define the principles of the rule of law, political pluralism, accountability, participation of citizens in the legislative process and respect for the rights of the opposition. The author focuses on the conceptual approaches of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the Venice Commission to understanding the principles of democratic governance, political accountability and openness of parliaments.

 It is emphasized that effective parliamentarism is not only a mechanism of representation, but also a tool for controlling the executive branch, as well as a guarantor of democratic legitimacy of political decisions.

The article compares the key parameters of the Ukrainian parliamentary system with European standards, identifying structural and procedural imbalances that slow down the approximation of Ukrainian parliamentarism to a democratic model. These include excessive politicization of the parliamentary process, formalization of committee work, insufficient transparency of MPs’ activities, limited public access to the lawmaking process, and a low level of implementation of recommendations of international organizations.

The author substantiates the need for systemic institutional changes aimed at improving the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, strengthening the mechanisms of parliamentary control, introducing ethical codes of conduct for MPs and enhancing interaction with civil society. The article proves that the adaptation of Ukrainian parliamentarism to European standards is not only a condition for effective governance, but also the basis for the formation of a political culture based on transparency, accountability and public trust in government institutions.

Bibliography

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