The peculiarities of implementing the policy of the EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative in regards to protecting the rights of national minorities have been studied. The issue of national minorities in the EU is considered from the perspectives of security, democracy, and regional integration. Despite contemporary criticism of the EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative, many initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of national minorities in the region have been implemented, thereby fostering intergovernmental cooperation. It is evident that Ukraine and Moldova are the most proactive in protecting the rights of national minorities amongst the Eastern Partnership countries. These countries have been granted the status of candidate for EU accession. Despite the Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukraine actively works on improving legislation in the field of ethno-policy. Particular emphasis is placed on analysis of the institutional structure of national minorities, communication pathways, and non-discriminatory policies in Eastern Partnership countries. Member states of the Eastern Partnership actively utilize “soft power” techniques through a network of minority organizations. It has been suggested that European integration of Ukraine and Moldova has generated considerable opportunities for the development of national minorities. Loosening of state borders has enabled national minorities to connect more deeply with their ethnic homelands, thereby transforming them into engaged participants of transborder cooperation and significant figures of regional policy. The Eastern Partnership furnishes a platform for minorities to assert themselves in decisions which pertain to their lives, execute grant initiatives, and take part in regional associations of minorities. Nevertheless, certain risks are highlighted, such as particular nations exploiting EU enlargement to tackle minority matters or manipulate minority rights. The EU has analyzed programs supporting national minorities, especially those implemented in the Eastern Partnership countries. While Eastern Partnership countries have developed their policies regarding national minorities, there are common problems faced by minorities in the region. Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are involved in conflicts, being former Soviet Union countries, and face numerous challenges concerning the functioning of the Russian minority, which is numerically significant in this region. It is stated that the EU cooperates with the Eastern Partnership countries on matters regarding national minorities, and it is crucial to develop innovative models for managing ethnic diversity, promoting the involvement of national minorities in making socio-political decisions and integrating them into society.

Significant changes in the field of education observed in recent years under the influence of economic, political and social processes, as well as Ukraine’s entry into the global, in particular European, educational space, have become the basis for the implementation of educational reforms at all levels – from preschool to adult education. That is why there is an urgent need for professionals in various fields to have a high level of legal culture, because ignorance of the law does not absolve one from responsibility. In addition, the goal of all reform processes in our country is to achieve compliance with the European architecture in the relevant fields – legal, educational, medical, etc. Regulations are the main means of regulating and implementing legal policy in the field of education. Formation of legal culture of all participants in the educational process is a guarantee of the rule of law, a guarantee of fostering respect for the law and the state as a guarantor of law and order in the exercise of the right to education by every citizen. Accordingly, the legal competence of students, regardless of their field of study, is no longer just a requirement of modern society, but also a basic need of every person. The category of «legal culture» is one of the main characteristics of the country’s legal system, which helps to determine the quality of the legal life of society. The level of legal knowledge is an indicator that reveals the quality of the legal life of a higher education student, which allows the latter to evaluate both his or her own actions and/or inaction and the actions of other members of society and to distinguish legal relations in different branches of law. Structural components aimed at improving the level of legal culture of higher education students can be divided into informative components (regulatory framework of a higher education institution, charter, collective agreement, internal regulations, provisions and procedures governing the educational process, etc.), an evaluative component is the direct attitude of a higher education student to law in general (teaching general legal disciplines to understand the importance of legal knowledge and skills) and an organizational component is the activities of research and teaching staff. The issue of forming legal culture in higher education students should be prioritized during higher education, since knowledge of and compliance with the rules of law at the present stage of European development is unconditional.

The subject of research presented in the article is the system of government in Poland. The considerations concern the relationship between the normative solutions defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and the influence of the EU on the modification of political solutions in Poland. It was hypothesized that after Poland’s accession to the EU, the system of government in Poland changed in terms of political practice. It has been shown that functioning in the EU resulted in a departure from the characteristic rationalization of the system of government and brought it closer to the parliamentary model. The research was based on the following methods: institutional-law, systemic and comparative.

One of the key values on which the European Union is based is the rule of law that also includes efficient mechanisms for counteracting and combating corruption. What is more, it is a key condition for countries aspiring to membership in the European Union. An example here comes from Albania’s accession aspirations. Their progress is determined by the dynamic changes in the transformation processes of this country, including progress in counteracting and eliminating corruption in the political and economic space. Explanation of the specific characteristics of Albanian reality and the exegesis of the impact of corruption on the process of the country’s closer EU cooperation are the aims of the research taken up here. Special focus will be given to electoral corruption in local government elections that took place on 14 May 2023. At the same time, these elections are only a background to a broader discussion on the essence of corruption in the Albanian reality as a factor that determines its accession process.

Ensuring the individual’s right to access to public information under martial law in the context of Ukraine’s European integration

The article deals with characterizing the constitutional human right to access public information in the context of Ukraine’s European integration processes. The author emphasizes that every individual’s right to information is one of the vital human rights. This right is enshrined in fundamental international instruments – the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as at the state level – in Article 34 of the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law on Access to Public Information. It is also noted that the law, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity, or public order, may restrict exercising the right to free collection, storage, use, and dissemination of information. Under current martial law conditions in Ukraine, such restrictions are related to the spread of disinformation by the hostile aggressor state. The author describes the European Union’s measures in the field of information security and points out that the main body responsible for regulating this area is the East StratCom Task Force (ESTF), founded in April 2015. In particular, this body aims to counter Russia’s constant disinformation campaigns. In addition, it is noted that information security in Ukraine is being carried out by such public organizations as “Detector Media” and “StopFake”. At the same time, the Centre for Countering Disinformation provides state regulation. It is a body of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, founded in March 2021. It is stated that adopting the laws “On Media” and “On Advertising” played an essential role in the fight against disinformation in the information space of Ukraine. It is concluded that Ukrainians need to master media literacy skills and understand from whom they consume information. Ukraine should implement its media and copyright laws quality, harmonize its legislation with the latest EU acts, and increase state bodies’ institutional capacity in combating disinformation. At the same time, it is emphasized that under the pretext of ensuring national security, the State should not engage in propaganda and restrict freedom of speech.