During the traditional evening address on August 25, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, among other things, warned that next week there will be legislative decisions on officials and people who think not about the state, but about their own benefit, while weakening the state. What could these solutions be? Who is especially weakening the power now? The Comments portal turned to experts with these questions.
It makes more sense to change the entire stale and helpless Cabinet of Ministers. Analyst at the Center for Reasonable Decisions, Vyacheslav Cherkashin, emphasizes that the internal agenda (the economy) lags far behind the external one (diplomacy).
“Most likely, it makes more sense to change the entire stale and helpless Cabinet of Ministers,” he believes. “But war brings its own stringent demands. And yet, we are waiting for effective decisions from President Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny.”
Most likely, we should expect new bills to combat corruption. The founder of the sociological company Active Group, political expert Andrei Eremenko argues as follows:
“One of those who is clearly weakening the situation in Ukraine (and who is unlikely to be removed) is the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Daniil Getmantsev. He is known for his initiatives aimed at maximizing regulation and taxation of representatives of the business sector. Here we are even talking not so much about Getmantsev’s person, but about the entire structure that ensures the preparation of bills that go under his name and ensure the president’s signature on them.”
Most likely, the expert continues, new anti-corruption bills will be adopted. There is a huge demand for this in society.
“I don’t know if President Zelensky sees sociology (I assume that he does), but he clearly senses the mood of society. He has traditionally done this well. That’s why he created Kvartal, which played on satire. Zelensky has always had a very subtle feel for society. This is his strength, his genius, on which he became a successful showman, and then won the presidential election. And, sensing a corresponding request from Ukrainian society and obvious complaints about the same from the West, I think he will do something to combat corruption. Some toughening of punishments, mass resignations, repressions,” explains Andrei Eremenko.
The result, in his opinion, will be half-hearted. Simply because the president will not be able to completely eliminate the cause of corruption, the expert explains.
“It is unlikely that he will begin to change the leadership of the President’s Office. Or key people from a close circle like Tishchenko. Whatever he violated, whatever he got caught doing - and nothing. But they will try to demonstrably clean up the average and below average levels of corruption. Which is not bad,” says Andrey Eremenko.
He also draws attention to the ongoing information campaign regarding “incorrect” spending of local budgets.
On the one hand, local budgets are the business of local authorities, the expert recalls. And only they can decide where and what to spend. On the other hand, when paving stones are re-laid for the tenth time during the war, this raises questions.
“So certain actions may begin against local authorities. And there is a serious risk here,” warns Andrei Eremenko. – Through certain decisions, the center may try to limit local self-government. Which creates a threat of a rollback of decentralization. When cities receive money directly, it always irritates the center... Be that as it may, I assume that all decisions will be aimed at strengthening the power of the president. And that would be a mistake."
It is necessary to deal with those who sabotage the financing of the army, who contribute to the massive theft and misuse of funds. According to the founder of the Studio of Common Sense, entrepreneur, public figure Pavel Sebastianovich, who needs to be removed from power is known to all Ukrainians who in one way or another encounter the state apparatus .
“We are talking about those who sabotage the financing of the army, who contribute to the massive theft and misuse of funds. During a war, the goal is one - to win! And even if, according to peacetime laws, budget funds should have been allocated for peaceful purposes, today these laws must be urgently rewritten. The first candidate for dismissal is the head of the NBU Pyshny. The ingenious scheme launched by his predecessor Shevchenko (with an increase in the rate to 25% and payment of 23% per annum on certificates of deposit) washed more than 400 billion UAH out of the economy. They are now frozen by the NBU,” explains the expert.
He emphasizes that more than UAH 150 billion in interest was paid on decertificates during the war in favor of banks.
“Imagine how many drones and other weapons could be purchased with this money! – Pavel Sebastianovich calls. – The second and third figures who are asking to leave are the notorious Getmantsev and Finance Minister Marchenko. They turned a blind eye to smuggling, to the washing out of the budget of fictitious VAT for a total amount, according to the information of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada, more than 100 billion UAH. And this was during the war! By covering (in the sense of “cover”) such schemes, these two characters blocked tens of thousands of industrial enterprises capable of producing weapons.”
In addition, Prime Minister Shmygal should leave his post, the expert believes. In his opinion, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers can at any moment stop the orgy of rolling billions of UAH of local budgets into asphalt and bicycle paths. But he does not stop, even though such powers are given to him by the law on martial law.
“And our Minister of Defense Reznikov “egg-seventeen” should lead this column of those dismissed and taken into custody,” Pavel Sebastianovich is sure. – All the people I named must explain the motives for their actions. It cannot be an accident that lawyer friends have completely blocked the Ukrainian economy.
The law enforcement system must answer this question. If President Zelensky limits himself to minor figures such as military commissars, then this is another imitation of vigorous activity.”
