THE NINTH SEMINAR OF THE PROJECT “STATE SYSTEM IN ACTION” HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW

On March 5, 2026, the ninth academic seminar within the framework of the international research project “System in Action” took place at Uniwersytet Warszawski. The seminar focused on the functioning of the civil service and the relationship between public administration and the political system.

The seminar featured presentations by Svitlana Sytnyk (Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) and Antoni Kamiński (Polish Academy of Sciences).

In her presentation, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute Svitlana Sytnyk offered an analysis of the reforms and the current functioning of the civil service in Ukraine, emphasizing the impact of political changes on the stability of the administrative system. In particular, she discussed the consequences of the 2019 elections and the challenges faced by the civil service under wartime conditions. Among these challenges are the suspension of some competitive recruitment procedures, the mobilization of civil servants for military service, and the need to maintain the institutional capacity of the administration during martial law. During the discussion, participants stressed the importance of transparency in accountability mechanisms for public officials, particularly the system of asset declarations. It was also noted that the Ukrainian Constitution lacks clear regulation of the fundamental principles of the civil service, which may contribute to institutional instability.

In the second part of the seminar, Professor Antoni Kamiński presented an analysis of the functioning of the civil service in Poland, focusing on the tensions between its professional character and political influence. His presentation addressed the problem of the politicization of the administration, including the phenomenon of appointing individuals affiliated with ruling political parties to public positions. Particular attention was also paid to the issue of so-called “staff rotation” and the challenges related to maintaining кадров stability in public administration, including in comparison with the situation in Ukraine.

During the concluding discussion, the participants noted that in both Poland and Ukraine the functioning of the civil service remains closely connected to the dynamics of the political system. One of the key challenges for the future is strengthening the professionalism of the civil service, ensuring transparency in recruitment procedures, and increasing public trust in state institutions.

The seminar was also attended by researchers from the Department of Political Institutions and Processes of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine — PhD in Political Science Nataliia Kononenko, Rostyslav Balaban, Svitlana Brekharia, and Ihor Symysenko.