Digital public governance as a sustainability and resilience mechanism under crisis conditions : evidence from Ukraine and implications for the European Union

Abstract

PURPOSE: This paper analyses the role of digital public governance and selected egovernment platforms in sustaining the functioning of the Ukrainian state and economy under wartime conditions and assesses the adaptive potential of this experience for European Union member states as a mechanism supporting institutional sustainability and resilience.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study adopts a qualitative-quantitative descriptive approach based on secondary data analysis, comparative analysis, and triangulation of sources, including reports of Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, the OECD, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the UNDP. A comparative analysis is conducted with Estonia, Poland, and Denmark, selected as three distinct models of digital governance in Europe.

FINDINGS: The results show that platforms such as Diia, Diia. Business, eRobota, and Air Alert played a decisive role in ensuring the continuity of public services, supporting businesses, and enabling crisis communication throughout the war. Their integration into the public management system allowed Ukraine to maintain core state functions despite the ongoing armed conflict. The comparative analysis indicates that, while not directly transferable, the Ukrainian model can inform EU digitalization strategies, particularly regarding mobile administrative services and the integration of digital tools with crisis management systems.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings support concrete policy recommendations for EU institutions and member states, including the development of a European Digital Resilience Platform, harmonized cybersecurity regulation, cross-border e-government services, an EUwide early warning system, and targeted digital education and SME-support programmes for the 2025-2035 period.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article contributes an original three-dimensional framework of digital resilience - technological, institutional, and user-based - and applies it to an unprecedented wartime case, offering a theory-informed account of how digital governance mechanisms can support institutional and economic resilience and long-term sustainability under conditions of systemic crisis.