🇺🇦 Is the New Anti-Corruption Law Really a Victory? Let’s Look Closer.
On July 24, 2025, a new law was introduced in Parliament to reverse the damage done just two days earlier by Law 12414, which gave the Prosecutor General sweeping control over NABU and SAPO. President Zelensky is calling this new draft a “restoration of independence of anti-corruption institutions” But is it really?
Here’s the short version:
✅ Yes, this law does cancel many of the worst changes that Law 12414 forced through.
❌ But no, it does not bring Ukraine back to the strong anti-corruption system the country started to develop after the 2014–2015 reforms.
Let’s be honest: the July 24 law is not a bold reform. It’s damage control. It was written quickly, without civil society input, and only after massive backlash from watchdogs, diplomats, and the public. It reverses the most outrageous parts of Law 12414, but leaves a lot of deeper problems in place.
What’s still missing?
– No changes to how SAPO and NABU leaders are selected, still vulnerable to political manipulation.
– No return to the full legal protections of the 2015 founding laws.
– No public oversight or independent audit bodies revived.
– No long-term guarantee that these institutions won’t be attacked again next year.
– And no consultation with the people and organizations who built Ukraine’s anti-corruption system in the first place.
One new thing it does include? Vague language about protecting against “foreign interference”. But without clear limits, that could be abused too.
This law may satisfy some EU requirements on paper, but Ukraine’s anti-corruption success was never just about laws. It was about public trust, independent institutions, and civil society standing guard. So let’s stay vigilant. This isn’t over
Зеленський вніс до Ради законопроєкт з нормами про незалежність НАБУ і САП
https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2025/07/24/7523280/
Про внесення змін до Кримінального процесуального кодексу України щодо особливостей досудового розслідування кримінальних правопорушень, пов’язаних із зникненням осіб безвісти за особливих обставин під час дії воєнного стану https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4555-20#Text
Проект Закону про внесення змін до Кримінального процесуального кодексу України і деяких законодавчих актів України щодо посилення повноважень Національного антикорупційного бюро України та Спеціалізованої антикорупційної прокуратури
https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/Card/56899
Law on NABU:
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2014, October 14). Закон України “Про Національне антикорупційне бюро України” №1698-VII [Law of Ukraine “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau” No. 1698-VII].
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1698-18#Text
Law on SAPO (within Prosecution Law):
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2014, October 14). Закон України “Про прокуратуру” №1697-VII [Law of Ukraine “On the Prosecution” No. 1697-VII, as amended to establish SAPO].
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1697-18#Text