Ukraine: Parliament appoints Denys Chmygal as Prime Minister

Text by: RFI Follow

Ukraine changes government less than six months after the inauguration of Oleksiy Hontcharouk's cabinet. This Prime Minister was the youngest in Ukrainian history, a proven anti-corruption activist, and the new face of a new era promised by de Volodymyr Zelensky, an actor who became head of state in May. This change raises many questions about the political stability of the Zelensky presidency, and the influence games of the oligarchs.

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With our correspondent in Kiev, Sébastien Gobert

" Not to be a thief is not enough ". From the rostrum of Parliament, Volodymyr Zelenskyy found a very special way to thank his Prime Minister. 353 deputies supported his resignation, not one opposed it.

Elected officials had been prepared for weeks: Volodymyr Zelensky deplored some personal disagreements with Oleksiy Hontcharouk, and he regretted the lack of economic results.

And while the government has reduced state corruption, it has failed to effectively tackle smuggling. " We now need a government for the people, " called the president before proposing Denys Shmygal, an accountant unknown to the general public, to replace him.

Denys Shmygal is a former collaborator of Rinat Akhmetov, the wealthiest man in the country. And in the entourage of the outgoing Prime Minister, it is explained that it was oligarchs who pushed for the fall of the government.

This suggests that Volodymyr Zelensky is not as independent as he claims, and asks a lot of questions about the next steps for his presidency.

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• Ukraine
• Volodymyr Zelensky