NABU, SAPO and HACC are turning into a "parallel government" and an instrument of political struggle - The Economist

Anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine have "become a law unto themselves" and have effectively gained the ability to independently determine when and how to intervene in political processes. As a result, NABU, SAPO and HACC risk becoming a "parallel government"—this is stated in an article by the influential British publication The Economist. 

The publication notes that in recent years, the triumvirate of NABU, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the High Anti-Corruption Court has transformed into a separate political center of influence.

"The anti-corruption bodies have "become a law unto themselves" and have effectively gained the ability to independently determine when and how to intervene in political processes. In essence, this is a parallel government," the article in The Economist says.

The publication draws attention to the fact that concerns about NABU's politicization are voiced even by people close to the Bureau itself. The article says that the enormous volume of information to which anti-corruption bodies have access poses a particular danger.

"The law gave them access to the most intimate moments of politics and people's lives. The danger is that this is turning into a political weapon," the publication writes.

The Economist emphasizes that such activity by anti-corruption bodies is becoming particularly acute at a critical moment for the country. Ukraine is entering its fifth winter of war significantly more vulnerable than in previous years, with limited supplies of missiles for air defense. At the same time, Russia is intensifying strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian businesses. All these problems may compound one another, creating a new crisis for Ukraine, the publication writes. 

As is known, a number of EU countries abandoned anti-corruption bodies after they turned into purely political instruments. Thus, in 2026, Poland decided to completely disband the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) due to the loss of public trust and the body's transformation into an instrument of political struggle. For these reasons, a number of European states—Germany, France and Sweden—abandoned "anti-corruption bureaus" like those in Ukraine or Poland.