Personnel changes and Andrey Ermak

There have been layoffs in the Cabinet of Ministers - Alexander Kubrakov and Nikolai Solsky left their positions. There are many complaints against the Minister of Infrastructure regarding the construction of defensive structures - in fact, the ministry has withdrawn itself from this extremely important task, shifting it to the regional military administrations. And the Minister of Agriculture has a dirty trail of corruption from the past.

The resignations of the heads of the Ministry of Youth Sports, the Ministry of Reintegration and several other officials of a smaller caliber are quite possible.

A significant number of observers, in particular Yuri Butusov, connect these personnel changes and the next reorganization of ministries with the intention of the head of the OP Andrei Ermak to strengthen his influence on what is happening in the country (although where else to strengthen it?!).

This is partly true. But there is another significant nuance.

Thus, the unlucky Ukrainian power system is built in such a way that each head of the presidential office tries to become a small door through which any important information, as well as any visitors - officials, politicians, public figures - gets to the first person. And when this succeeds, visitors must first arrange a meeting with the president with the head of his office/administration, and after the meeting they must report to the chief administrator about the results of the conversation.

Of course, excesses happen. I remember how at one time the then Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych came to see President Leonid Kuchma, but in the first reception room he was told that the president was busy, so he must first talk with Viktor Medvedchuk, and if he allows...

In Yanukovych’s prison system of coordinates, this meant an attempt to “lower” him. That’s why he went to see Medvedchuk, but instead of explaining, he silently punched him in the face. And then he went to the president. And Medvedchuk did not show up for work for several days until the bruise went away.

No matter how influential the head of the president's office may seem, he will in no way object if the head of state wishes to meet with anyone or receive any information of interest to him. Yes, the head of the office can correct this situation, but very carefully, otherwise a new head of the office will appear very soon. What, for example, happened to Andrei Bogdan, who was also considered irresistibly influential.

My point is that attempts to reduce the flow of visitors and information to a minimum is the desire of Vladimir Zelensky himself. Ermak only fulfills this desire, which also automatically increases his importance in the system of power.

We must understand that President Zelensky is now extremely tired, which is quite natural in the third year of a full-scale war. He retained mainly international contacts at the highest level. Everything else is unofficially delegated to Ermak, which is why our foreign partners perceive him as one of the leaders of Ukraine - this is one of the manifestations of “realpolitik”.

And changes among senior officials are long overdue. What is needed is not a shuffling of the same personnel deck, but a transformation of the entire socio-political system. Without this, Ukraine cannot survive.