Description
This study uses critical policy discourse analysis to examine Ukraine’s 2023 Recovery Plan, focusing on power dynamics embedded within the plan. By analysing the language and discussions at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 and its side events, this paper seeks to understand whose interests are prioritised within the recovery framework and to identify ideological narratives and power structures that sustain these preferences. A central point of the analysis is the tension between civil society’s aspirations and private sector interests, particularly the conflict between corporate economic gains and the socio-economic rights of those most affected by the ongoing war. The study examines policy texts and conference dialogues, seeking to understand how business economic interests are either prioritised or harmonised with claims for socio-economic justice. The study contributes to the academic debates on post-conflict reconstruction by providing insights into how reconstruction efforts can potentially advance or hinder social equality. It offers a critical lens on policy-making processes, arguing for a more inclusive approach prioritising economic redistribution over profit-making in societies scarred by large-scale violence and destruction.
