Ukraine is expected to undergo the biggest cabinet reshuffle since the start of the war. What is President Zelensky's goal with the new appointments?
The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday confirmed former Economic Affairs Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as the new prime minister. Her predecessor, Shmyhal, will become defense minister.
Rumors of a government change have been circulating in Ukraine for some time, but now they have become a reality. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament approved the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The cabinet was automatically dissolved. Shmyhal had previously served for more than five years - longer than any other Ukrainian prime minister before him. Two days earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky had nominated former Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to head the government. The 39-year-old had previously been Shmyhal's deputy and rose to prominence during weeks of negotiations on a raw materials deal with the United States, which was signed in Washington in late April. Svyrydenko proved to be a strong negotiator.
Zelenskyy said it was necessary to restructure the country's executive branch in order to implement agreements reached with international partners. The Ukrainian president said he expected a new government program soon.
Can a change of government be made under a state of emergency?
The Ukrainian parliament is expected to vote on the new government on Thursday (July 17). However, Article 10 of the state of emergency states that the powers of the president, parliament, government, the National Bank and some other state bodies cannot be interrupted during its establishment. Opposition representatives doubt the legitimacy of the change of government. "The parliament recently extended the term of the state of emergency and may violate Article 10 by doing so, although everyone agrees that the legislation should first be clarified or amended," said Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of the opposition faction "Holos" - "Voice".
Was the president unhappy with the government?
Political scientist and co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion, Oleh Saakyan, believes that the parliament will vote for this resolution out of political expediency, ignoring the laws. Saakyan argues that this change of government "is overdue", in fact it was planned for 2024.
The main reasons for this are the ongoing tensions within the government and "a number of obvious management problems" in various areas of government policy - from the defense sector to infrastructure and social policy. "The government wants to publicly calm some of these tensions. They want to gain 'new credibility', so to speak, at the right time," the expert emphasizes.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political scientist and head of the Ukrainian Center for Applied Political Studies "Penta", doubts, however, that the change of the head of government will bring about major domestic political changes. "The main political decisions will continue to be made in the presidential office, and Svyrydenko, like the government, will implement them," Fesenko said. Svyrydenko, who previously served as deputy head of the presidential administration under Andriy Yermak, is considered a confidant of Zelensky and a young and dynamic politician who could potentially bring new approaches. Fesenko emphasizes that Svyrydenko has "the necessary experience in working in war conditions and in relations with international institutions."
Will the work of the government change?
Petro Oleshchuk, a political expert at Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, believes that despite several corruption scandals in the government cabinet, Zelensky wants to show that he still has a team that will continue to work with him - especially since the government will not be completely changed and a number of ministers will remain in office.
Denys Shmyhal is also not expected to leave the government completely, but instead is expected to become Minister of Defense. "Shmyhal's transfer to another position within the government is intended to show that there are no internal disagreements. These are simply personnel changes within a team," Oleshchuk told DW.
On the other hand, expert Oleh Saakyan believes that the partial change of government indicates an acute shortage of qualified and reliable personnel. New and current ministers are forced to deliver results quickly. Saakyan is skeptical about the long-term prospects. "This is a dose of adrenaline for the current government. But it will not fundamentally change its quality," the Ukrainian political expert emphasizes.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky has already outlined the main priorities for the new incoming government, including increasing domestic arms production, developing defense projects, and comprehensive liberalization of the economy./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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