Constitutional and legal principles of building a welfare state in Ukraine

Abstract

The rapid development of Ukraine towards European integration implies the existence of a high-quality and effective legal framework that guarantees the safeguarding of fundamental rights and liberties. Given this, it is necessary to clarify the essence of building a social state and the principles underlying it. The objective of the study was to investigate the main postulates of building a social state and their normative consolidation in national legislation. The following methods were used in the study of the issue: historical, system, modelling, analysis, and synthesis, comparative, statistical. The study’s findings were intended to ascertain how the idea of creating a social state developed on the territory of Ukraine and other states, and how this concept was reflected in modern countries. The paper examines the basic principles underlying the construction of a social state and their constitutional consolidation; which essential liberties and rights of an individual or citizen are protected by the way the idea of a social state operates, etc. Statistical data on life satisfaction indicators of people in different countries are also provided in light of different methods of social policy implementation. Various models and options for further building a social state on the territory of Ukraine are presented, considering the current situation associated with a full-scale war. The paper describes the experience of European countries in successfully reforming the social sphere, in particular, Denmark, Switzerland, etc. The authors also present a model of the social state of the future, taking into account the changing needs of society, digitalisation, well-being, etc. The outcomes can be applied to further enhance Ukraine’s social policy legislation by lawyers, sociologists, and scientists.