TRANSFORMATION OF STATE POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS UNDER MARTIAL LAW: BETWEEN STRATEGIC MOBILIZATION AND DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of state political communications under martial law through the prism of the relationship between strategic societal mobilization and the democratic legitimacy of political authority. The study examines the main theoretical approaches to understanding political communications in crisis conditions, reveals the specific features of the institutional restructuring of the state communication system following the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, and identifies the role of strategic communications in ensuring societal resilience.
It is demonstrated that, under the conditions of a full-scale war, political communications have moved beyond their traditional informational functions and have become an important instrument for coordinating collective action, building political trust, and maintaining national cohesion. The study substantiates that communicative resilience has become one of the key resources for ensuring political stability and preserving the legitimacy of state authority during a prolonged military confrontation.
The findings indicate that the transformation of political communications was accompanied by increased coordination of state information policy, the development of strategic mobilization mechanisms, and the emergence of new models of interaction between public authorities and society. At the same time, it is revealed that the centralization of the communication space, while effective from the perspective of national security, creates potential challenges for political pluralism, the openness of the public sphere, and democratic mechanisms of public oversight.
The article concludes that the long-term legitimacy of political authority in the post-war period will depend on the state's ability to combine the positive experience of strategic communications with the restoration of a full-fledged public dialogue, a competitive information environment, and the principles of democratic governance. It is argued that the further evolution of political communications in Ukraine should be based on balancing the requirements of national security with democratic standards of public administration and political participation.