The number of deputies in the Rada will decrease: Stefanchuk named the new optimal number of people's representatives.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, stated that the question of reducing the number of people's deputies to 300 may arise in Ukrainian society. He expressed this opinion in an interview with Ukrinform.

'I am deeply convinced that the issue of reducing the number of people's deputies will undoubtedly arise in Ukrainian society,' Stefanchuk emphasized.

According to the head of parliament, the main reason for the potential reduction is the significant decrease in the population of Ukraine after the full-scale invasion. This directly impacts the question of citizens' representation in the legislative body.

'When there were 52 million, that was one thing, but today, when there are much fewer people, the question of representation in society certainly needs to be revisited. I believe that the figure of 300 is one that can be discussed, and it should be a benchmark for further processes,' Stefanchuk explained.

The Speaker also reminded that the initiative to reduce the parliamentary corps is not new. On August 29, 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky had already addressed the Verkhovna Rada with a proposal to amend the Constitution to reduce the number of people's deputies to 300. However, the previous composition of the Constitutional Court provided a negative conclusion regarding this draft law, which effectively halted its consideration.

According to the current Constitution of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada consists of 450 people's deputies, who are elected on the basis of universal, equal, and direct voting through secret ballots for a five-year term.

According to the UN, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine's population has decreased by more than 10 million people due to emigration, declining birth rates, and hostilities.