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Ukraine: these acrobats who get their hands on the state
Humor and politics. In Ukraine, President-in-Office Volodymyr Zelensky is a funny animal: a comedian by profession, he made his career on stage, on television. This popularity, he turned into political credit, being elected last April with 73% of the vote. But for the first time, his double hat as head of state and public entertainer is starting to pose a problem.
From our correspondent in Kiev,
Zelensky did not cut the bridges with his historical comedy troupe, the Kvartal 95, in the midst of a political scandal. It seems that the merry comrades of the president are back on the scene.
However, since his victory, Volodymyr Zelensky has officially passed the hand and has given the keys of his powerful production company to his associates. But this weekend, the "Quartier du Soir", the popular variety show formerly presented by Zelensky, aired a sketch of a very dubious taste.
We see a famous comedian, a close friend of Zelensky, singing with a traditional Ukrainian choir, and making fun of the misadventures of Valeria Gontareva, the boss of the Ukrainian National Bank.
Valeria Gontareva, a respected reformist, led in 2016 the nationalization of Privat Bank, the largest Ukrainian bank, which belonged to Ihor Kolomoisky, the oligarch who supported the rise of Zelensky.
Today, Valeria Gontareva is a refugee in London. This summer, she was hit by a car and sent to the hospital. In Kiev, his house was burned in a criminal arson, and suspicion fell on the entourage of Ihor Kolomoisky, considered the boss of Zelensky.
Suddenly, on Sunday, when Zelensky's big heads diverted a popular song, to box Gontareva, and to make laugh about criminal acts, it sent a certain coldness.
It seems that Zelensky has decided to put his foot in the stirrup in politics to some of his comedians
On Monday, we learned about the appointment to the government of Sergiy Syvokho, a "creative producer" of Kvartal 95, the band of Zelensky. Let's say his specialty is jokes below the waist. Sergiy Sivokho has been appointed to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine!
This is not a joke, he is responsible for giving his expertise on the reintegration of Donbass. If such a scenario took place in France, it would be a little as if Jean-Marie Bigard became advisor to the Minister of Defense.
Does the popularity of Volodymr Zelensky take a hit ?
Not yet, but he'll have to be careful. In recent days, the popularity of the head of state has increased from 73% to 66%, which is still very comfortable. But Zelensky will have to learn to make choices.
Example: In recent days, a well-known actress, from Zelensky's troupe, has revealed in an interview that the president has not disconnected from the cats on which his hundred writers discuss the Kvartal 95 show skits, and that it is the president himself, who links all the scripts, and gives his approval to the jokes, which are broadcast in the broadcasts.
As we will recall, Ukraine is a country at war, where people die almost daily in the Donbass, and if the situation deteriorates, the opinion that may ask to focus on the essential .