Political impartiality and professionalisation of municipal servants: European experience for post-war Ukraine

Ukraine’s full-scale defence against Russian aggression coincides with its candidacy for EU membership and an ongoing decentralisation reform that places unprecedented responsibility on local self-government bodies. While municipalities have played a crucial role in territorial defence and civilian protection, the war has exposed systemic weaknesses in the political impartiality and professionalism of municipal civil servants, including collaborationism in occupied territories and pervasive political interference in personnel policy. Political bias within municipal service undermines public trust, fuels corruption, and generates direct risks for national security. The article conceptualises political impartiality as the capacity of municipal servants to perform their duties independent of party affiliation, personal political views, or external pressure, and argues that this principle is inseparable from the broader professionalisation of municipal service. It provides a critical assessment of the new Law of Ukraine “On Service in Local Self-Government Bodies” No. 3077-IX, highlighting its potential to depoliticise local service through competitive recruitment, clear separation of political and administrative positions, performance evaluation, and continuous professional development, while also identifying key implementation risks such as financial constraints, lack of secondary legislation, and resistance from political elites. Drawing on the experience of Poland (KSAP), Germany (Berufsbeamtentum), and the Netherlands (“Public Sector Bargain”), as well as ReSPA programmes, the article formulates practical recommendations for establishing a politically neutral, professional municipal civil service tailored to Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and accelerated European integration.