More than half of Ukrainians were skeptical about the intention of the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky to carry out de-oligarchization.

This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by the Socis Center for Social and Marketing Research.

Thus, 35.7% of respondents called it a populist step taken to increase their own rating.

Another 12.9% of respondents believe that such intentions are attempts by Zelensky and his entourage to redistribute property and become oligarchs themselves.

8.8% regard this as an attempt to take control of the TV channels owned by the oligarchs.

At the same time, 20.1% of the survey participants consider this initiative a "striving for justice", and 11.4% - a step that will allow Ukraine to become successful.

Another 4.7% of respondents gave other answers, and 17.9% found it difficult to answer or refused to answer.

On another point of the poll, 50.1% of respondents said that he never fulfilled most of the promises made by Zelensky in the elections.

And 66.5% are sure that the implementation of one of the main points of Zelensky's program on the fight against poverty has completely failed.

In addition, 55.3% of survey participants called the current Ukrainian government unprofessional and amateurish, 15% - populist, and only 12.9% of Ukrainians are sure that Zelensky managed to form a competent management team.

The survey was conducted from May 28 to June 3, 2021 among 2 thousand respondents in all government-controlled regions of the country.

The statistical error of his results is estimated at 2.4%.

  • Vladimir Zelensky

  • Reuters

  • © Gleb Garanich

Influential People Registry

We will remind, in early June, Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill "On the prevention of threats to national security associated with the excessive influence of persons with significant economic or political weight in public life (oligarchs)."

In the media, this document, sent to the Rada with the status of urgent, was nicknamed the law on de-oligarchization.

As explained on the website of the President of Ukraine, this law defines oligarchs as "persons with significant influence in the economic and political life of the country, as well as controlling the main segments of the media space."

It is noted that the document will regulate "meetings and other relationships between representatives of government bodies with persons who own significant assets."

A special register of oligarchs will be created.

It will be determined who will be included in it on the basis of four criteria: participation in the political life of the country, possession of significant influence on the media, the status of the beneficiary of a monopoly company, or the presence of a fortune that exceeds 1 million living wages (about $ 84 million).

At the same time, to obtain the status of an oligarch, it will be enough to meet at least three of the listed criteria.

The term of this law will be limited to ten years.

The president's office explains that the bill is intended to become "the first step towards the elimination of the oligarchic system" in Ukraine.

On its basis, it is planned to develop "anti-trust laws, a law on lobbying and other regulatory legal acts that will reformat economic and social relations in the country."

The right to include businessmen in the register of oligarchs will be given to the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).

At the same time, he will be able to make such a decision on the basis of a proposal from the government, the SBU, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine or the National Bank.

According to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denis Malyuska, the specified criteria, in particular, include the Ukrainian businessman Igor Kolomoisky and the former president of the country Petro Poroshenko, who, according to experts, have a great influence on political processes in the country.

  • Petro Poroshenko

  • Reuters

  • © Gleb Garanich

According to the prevailing point of view in Ukraine, it was Kolomoisky who helped Zelensky come to power in 2019, although both deny this.

The businessman himself has already stated that he is ready to enter this register and is not going to sell his assets in order to avoid this.

However, he stressed that his words refer only to the current version of the law.

As for Poroshenko, it is worth recalling that it was he who, when he was president, called for de-oligarchization in Ukraine.

This item was included in the 5D block of his program: deoligarchization, deregulation, de-bureaucratization, decentralization and de-occupation.

However, as analysts note, he did not achieve any success in this matter.

Alternative from the opposition

In Ukraine, opponents of the adoption of the law introduced by Zelensky have already been found.

The Opposition Platform - For Life (OCPL) party announced that it would not vote for him.

“The bill of President Zelensky, allegedly directed against the oligarchs, is in fact an imitation of struggle and a media“ smoke screen ”to create a false impression among the citizens of Ukraine about“ restoring order and social justice ”.

At the same time, the key problem of the presidential bill is that it does not in any way affect the fundamental foundations of the oligarchic economy, ”the statement said in a statement.

In addition, the party called the proposed measure unconstitutional.

“Zelensky's bill contains discriminatory provisions that restrict Ukrainian citizens in their rights, based on their property status, which is contrary to Article 24 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

Also, its provisions contradict part 3 of Article 22 of the Constitution of Ukraine on the inadmissibility of narrowing the content and scope of existing rights and freedoms, including the right to dispose of one's property, when adopting new laws or amending existing laws (Article 41), ”the party believes.

As an alternative, OLE offers its draft law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in the Sphere of Antimonopoly Policy, Deoligarchization and Ensuring Fair Competition", which was submitted to the Rada in September 2020.

This document provides for "reducing the level of monopolization of markets for goods and services ... to 35% and 40%, creating an effective toolkit for the compulsory separation of business entities and associations of enterprises holding a monopoly position in the relevant market, increasing the size of fines for violating legislation on protection against unfair competition."

The OLE are convinced that "it is precisely the fight against monopolies that is the key to dismantling the oligarchic model of the economy without unduly politicizing this process and using it in the political interests of the authorities."

"New economic redistribution"

Ruslan Bortnik, director of the Ukrainian Institute for Policy Analysis and Management, suggests that the development of the law proposed by Zelensky could be preparation for a new redistribution of property.

"The creation of this bill can be a preparation for a new economic redistribution, which will also affect assets in the media sphere, which are an important, and maybe key, part of the political system," the expert said in a conversation with RT.

  • Igor Kolomoisky

  • Reuters

  • © Valentyn Ogirenko

According to him, if this bill is adopted, the Ukrainian authorities will receive an extrajudicial tool to put pressure on business.

“Most likely, the law will be passed.

But it will change very seriously towards the final point of acceptance.

The authorities will have an additional extrajudicial tool for behind-the-scenes influence on big business and on the economic, political and media assets associated with it, ”the analyst said.

In turn, Ukrainian political scientist Alexander Semchenko believes that populism is at the heart of Zelensky's new legislative initiative.

“This is done for the public, since Zelensky has a lot of failures and problems.

But the main thing is different: the gas tariffs have increased in the country - this is in the interests of the oligarchs.

It is planned to increase electricity tariffs - these are the interests of the oligarch Akhmetov.

So the oligarchs are doing well, they have no problems.

And the fact that somewhere they will be called a bad word is indifferent to them, "said the interlocutor of RT.

The expert stressed that this law will not be able to limit the influence of the oligarchs in the country.

“What is the reason for the power of the oligarchs?

Not that they are called or not called oligarchs, and not even that they have deputies and ministers on their salaries, but that they own enterprises.

The whole economy is under them.

They have an economic basis for their power, ”says Semchenko.

The analyst believes that more fundamental and profound reforms are needed for real changes in Ukrainian society.

“Instead of solving real problems, the Ukrainian government produces laws.

But there is little sense from them, because any reform is a transformation of certain social relations, moreover, a real transformation, and not on paper.

If you fight the oligarchs, you need to knock out their economic foundation, but Zelensky will never agree to this, ”Semchenko concluded.