This project seeks to analyse the political balance of power at the local level in Ukraine, tensions between local and national politics, and the effects of the decentralisation process on decisions and public trust in local politics. Based on local case studies (Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa), the project has examined the composition of local councils, which particularly since the 2015 local elections have been characterised by a higher degree of political diversity. Patterns of cooperation or confrontation in decision-making at local level have become especially relevant in the context of the ongoing decentralisation reforms in Ukraine, but the poor data situation has meant that they have only been partially understood to date. The local elections in autumn 2020 were the first involving the local councils newly amalgamated as part of the decentralisation process. On a more conceptual level, the project is concerned with the phenomenon of democratisation ‘from below’. The Covid-19 pandemic has been an additional test for the new structures and the societal expectations they have raised.