Denys Uliutin: Social Rights and Democratic Resilience Are Inseparable

During a working visit to Moldova, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine Denys Uliutin took part in the High-Level Conference on Social Rights – The European Social Charter, held in Chisinau.

The event was organised by the Republic of Moldova in cooperation with the Council of Europe. It brought together ministers and senior officials from member states, as well as representatives of the Council of Europe and international organisations, to discuss the role of social rights in ensuring democratic stability and resilience.

“Social rights and democratic resilience are inseparable. In times of crisis — whether war, an energy crisis or rising living costs — people assess democracy not only through institutions, but also through their own experience of fairness, security and opportunity. If people feel protected by the system, trust grows. If they feel the system is unjust or unpredictable, democratic institutions become vulnerable,” said Denys Uliutin.

The Minister stressed that these challenges are relevant not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe, amid rising inequality, demographic pressure and growing expectations toward social protection systems.

In this context, Denys Uliutin presented Ukraine’s approach to transforming social policy, which involves shaping a new social contract between the state and its citizens. This approach is based on aligning social guarantees with the state’s real capacities, providing support tailored to people’s actual needs rather than formal status, and recognising social policy as an investment in people.

The Minister also underlined the importance of the European Social Charter in strengthening social rights and democratic resilience.

“The Charter provides a shared framework where social rights strengthen not only social justice but also democratic stability and security. At the same time, its implementation amid all these challenges requires new, more flexible and better-targeted ways of delivering social protection — systems that are capable of scaling during crises, identifying needs more precisely and combining income support with services, employment and housing solutions,” Denys Uliutin added.

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