Citizen engagement in times of polycrisis: Learning from Ukraine’s communities during Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

Citizen participation has substantial normative appeal as a response to the “global polycrisis,” a set of overlapping crises—including climate change, global pandemics, and Russia’s war on Ukraine—that destabilize the international system. It strengthens societal resilience through bottom‑up, contextual responses and addresses democratic deficits by reducing political alienation, fostering ownership of collective outcomes, ensuring minority perspectives are heard, and aligning public services with citizens’ preferences. Despite these benefits, the lack of citizen participation remains a critical problem.

Existing approaches that focus on “widening” and “deepening” participatory tools overlook citizens’ agency and the importance they place on responsiveness and transparency. This study therefore shifts the perspective to ask why citizens choose to participate in local democracy, rather than why participation is lacking.