Sotsialnyi Rukh (Max Romanenko)
Ukraine is stuck in a dead end of corrupt neoliberalism, which delays the end of the war and forces the population to suffer from poverty. The work of all state institutions is permeated by priorities of personal gain, lack of planning, and being closed off to the masses. Such a system cannot win.
The working people of Ukraine are massively and sacrificially holding back the enemy, which contrasts with the model of a state that depends on a narrow circle of individuals and is unable to care for the common good. The country's resources are being depleted not only by the occupiers, but also by greedy big businessmen who profit from the key needs of society – in the energy and defense industries. Society's response to such abuses was protests in July 2025 under anti-corruption slogans.
The so-called “reset” of the government only accelerated the risk of passing laws desired by the oligarchs. The appointment to key positions of Yulia Svyrydenko, Oleksiy Sobolev, Taras Kachka, and other adherents of unbridled capitalism from the Kyiv School of Economics clearly demonstrates this. The greatest threat comes from the ministry headed by Mr Sobolev, which seeks to deprive the working population of their rights by drafting a Labor Code and, at the same time, has taken over powers in the field of ecology, simplifying the exploitation of natural resources by business. Our country is becoming unfit for life, and hopes for a just reconstruction are fading with each passing day.
This situation is a reflection of global trends. The pressure of reactionary forces in the world and the treacherous behavior of the US administration have made all Ukrainians feel insecure. Interruptions in the supply of weapons to repel the Russian aggressor are shifting the global balance of power in favor of the oppressors. But security is not just a matter of weapons. It is also about social security—the stable functioning of critical infrastructure, fair remuneration for conscientious work, and far-reaching protection for those who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. All of this forms the foundation on which effective defense can be built.
Both defense and welfare are key functions of the state. Private capital is not interested in this due to its focus on profit and desire to contribute as little as possible to the budget. Despite the Ukrainian people's hopes that the state would begin to care more about solving people's problems, the opposite has happened. One after another, scandals are erupting about businessmen making money on anything, including the production of weapons. All this is a consequence of the centralisation of power, the concealment of information behind the “fog of war,” and the erosion of democratic principles. Unfortunately, the state acts not as a social shield for the people, but as a corrupt superstructure. The lack of support is keenly felt by everyone, especially military personnel, people who are forced to leave their homes, and those who are raising new generations of Ukrainians in these uncertain times.
The working class, whose political potential remains untapped, has been and remains a mass force that can change history at a critical moment. The working masses have been pushed away from politics, becoming pawns in the games of the ruling classes. If working people unite, they can change the rules of politics and, in the long run, take power away from the current elites. This is because the social influence of railway workers, doctors, energy workers, and educators has grown exponentially thanks to their enormous contribution to welfare. Everyday life depends on their unwavering performance of their duties, so it will be difficult for the authorities to argue with their opinion.
Conversely, capital plays no role in keeping society afloat. The state budget is not filled by income taxes: these have always been hidden in offshore accounts, and since the beginning of the invasion, they have fallen due to the collapse of exports. The budget is largely supported by payroll taxes (13.11% of revenue), which finance defense, as well as international aid, which finances the social sector.
The role of critical infrastructure sectors, which operate outside market logic but are vital to sustainability on the battlefield and in the rear, has grown. Employees in these sectors are often victims of Russian attacks, but the Ukrainian Pension Fund does not pay them the promised compensation due to bureaucratic problems with obtaining the status of critical infrastructure facilities. The existence of this problem negates all claims of people-oriented policy.
The level of support for pensioners and persons with disabilities, given the huge amounts of international financial support, is unacceptable. To justify the poor social standards, false ideological clichés about the threat of growing “paternalistic sentiments” (both among the authorities and in the opposition camp) are spreading.
The lack of positive developments in the field of social support, combined with low wages, is leading to mass emigration, primarily among young people under the age of 22.
For decades, the state has been catering to investors and business people, because they supposedly generate profits.
But it is becoming clear that generating profits is now impossible, given the war-torn economy. It is time for the broad masses of the population to demand that their needs be prioritised, because everything depends on them. The level of well-being will be determined not by economic efficiency, but by the extent to which the population demands to be treated humanely. The disproportionate influence that the oligarchy retains over the government must disappear so as not to hinder Ukraine's development.
Believing that only by overcoming the capitalist course can the interests of the working people be fully secured, Social Movement emphasises the priority of the following demands:
1. A shared economy for a shared victory. Nationalisation under workers' control of infrastructure, defense industry, and mineral resource exploitation enterprises. A 50% quota for representatives of labor collectives on the supervisory boards of such enterprises will serve as a safeguard against corruption and the usurpation of power by servants of capital. This will allow for the accounting of resources that can be used for defense. The socialisation of energy companies, among other things, will prevent an environmental crisis, which is manifested in the deterioration of water, soil, and air quality. It is particularly necessary to nationalise the defense-industrial complex 100% in order to prevent private individuals from profiting from orders and to ensure stable working conditions for personnel. During the period of martial law, there can be no market for renting housing, medicines, or military technology—all processes must be regulated by independent state bodies that are not guided by the pursuit of profit. Funding for medical institutions should not be based on efficiency criteria, as this leads to the transformation of medical care from a guaranteed right into a commodity. Expanding the public sector in the economy will be a bridge to full employment, provided that employment services and trade unions cooperate. The tax system should perform a social function, counteracting excessive wealth differentiation through taxation.
2. Rebooting the welfare state. Prolonged war should be seen as a social risk factor for the entire population, and social protection should be recognised as a duty of the state. Social protection agencies should be proactive and offer assistance to the families of military personnel, affected workers, and vulnerable groups even before they ask for it. Empty newly built housing should be used to house internally displaced persons (IDPs) and military personnel while the housing crisis continues. During wartime, the state cannot burden the population with debt collection for utilities and tariff increases. The period of residence in front-line territories, as well as the status of IDPs after February 24, 2022, should be counted as insurance experience for citizens, regardless of official employment. In order to prevent the risk of intellectual backwardness among the population, work in education should be encouraged by providing all educators with salaries not less than the national average and access to safe and comfortable shelters. Independent monitoring of educational losses should be introduced, especially in front-line regions.
3. Revival of mass democracy. The authorities must listen to citizens when implementing policies at all levels – by creating new institutions of public representation and electing representatives of the workforce to manage enterprises. Workers must be guaranteed the right to 14 days of paid annual leave for volunteer work so that they can support the army and address social issues. A parliament whose term of office has expired does not have the right to consider bills about which members of the public have expressed concerns regarding the restriction of citizens' rights and freedoms. Guaranteeing the legal binding nature of petitions addressed to state authorities. Hold elections as soon as possible after the lifting of martial law. In order to prevent politicians who have discredited themselves through ties to oligarchs from coming to power, property qualifications should be abolished, the threshold for political parties to enter parliament should be lowered to 1%, and freedom of self-nomination should be guaranteed. Solving everyday social problems should become both a political goal and an incentive for broader involvement of the masses in political life. The contradictions that have accumulated in society must be resolved through the strengthening of real political competition, subject to the affirmation of human rights and ideological pluralism.
It is the working people—workers, educators, doctors, railway workers, energy workers—who must become the driving force behind Ukraine's renewal. You create all the wealth of the country, you defend it, you have every right to decide how to run it.
Social Movement calls on all working people to unite. Create trade unions in your enterprises. Demand participation in decisions that affect you. Organise councils in your communities. Do not wait for permission from above—take this right for yourselves.
Only through mass organisation and solidarity is victory in the war and fair reconstruction afterwards possible. History shows that all significant social transformations were achieved through struggle from below, not granted from above.
Approved as a basis for Social Movement’s work on September 28, 2025, at the annual Social Movement Conference (participants pictured above).