From TV series to involuntary decisions
Fight against corruption and implementing the Anti-Oligarch Law, among others, were identified by the European Union in late June as conditions not only for granting but also maintaining Ukraine’s European candidate status.
The anti-corruption requirement contains several basic conditions. One of them is the appointment of a new head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office who must be the certified winner of a competition.
In the field of fight against oligarchic conditions in the country, according to a European decision, the already existing Ukrainian Law on Oligarchs must pass the Venice Commission, in order to avoid ’arbitrary de-oligarchization’ in Ukraine.
In June, deputy head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva stressed that in the light of the European Commission’s decision to grant Ukraine candidate status, Kyiv should not relax. After such promises by Kyiv, even the skeptical Dutch government supported Ukraine’s candidacy, emphasizing that the country must meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria and no concessions will be allowed in this process.
And Ukraine, indeed, is not relaxing. In June, a new anti-corruption strategy was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which describes the main tasks for the state until 2025.
In addition to this, a much more important event should be mentioned, namely that on June 30, President Zelenskiy signed a decree introducing a register of oligarchs. The decree aims to implement the anti-oligarch law signed by Zelenskiy in 2021.
In mid-July, Ukraine’s richest oligarch Rinat Akhmetov in a public statement said that, his investment company SCM (System Capital Management Ltd) will exit its media business, meaning that his media holding would transfer all of its licenses to the state, shutter its digital publications, and also its print media. Akhmetov emphasized that he made an involuntary decision and that decision was driven by entering into force the Law on Oligarchs. ”As the largest private investor in Ukraine, I have repeatedly said that I was not, am not, and will not be an oligarch”, Akhmetov said.
Later in July, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council said that even a foreigner can be recognized as an oligarch as long as he or she falls under at least three out of four criteria specified in the law.
You probably remember that in late 2021 Akhmetov was accused by the Kyiv administration for preparation of a coup d’etat against Zelenskiy. No evidence was found, of course, except for the accusations that Akhmetov’s holding was supposed to provide media support to the so-called ’anti-Zelensky’ front.
I wonder if the above-mentioned events (Akhmetov’s forced decision to say goodbye to his media holding for the favor of the state) are not considered clearly as worrying signs by the Netherlands or any other member states of the European Union or the Commission? Is it acceptable for the EU and its authorities specialized in protecting basic human rights and democratic values, to allow Kyiv to force people to transfer their properties to the state?
When you consider the answers to these questions, please, do not forget the fact that Akhmetov was found ’guilty’ of providing media support to Zelenskiy’s opponents…
And, finally, for your entertainment, here is a piece of a dialogue from the TV series of Zelenskiy ’Servant Of The People’:
’Prime Minister (and Oligarch) (PM): Vasyl Petrovich… we hope… that the matter is closed.
President (in his role V.Zelenskiy): Yes.
PM: Thanks to god. Then we won’t take up any more of your time.
President: Thank you. … One more detail…
PM: Yes?
President: Yes, one. One detail. It’s hot, pardon me. You’re in power. Plus, you conduct business.
PM: Yes.
President: That is against the law. Thus, you must either sell your business…
PM: Or?
President: Resign. You decide.
PM: We’ll sell. He’ll sell and she’ll sell.
President: And what about you, Yuriy Ivanovich?
PM: And I’ll sell.
President: That settles it.
PM: Then we’ll leave.
President: Good luck.’
I cannot help feeling that there is a kind of mystic correspondence between the TV series of Zelenskiy and his decrees as de facto President of Ukraine. I can only hope that this mystery will soon be dissolved, and once it will serve Ukraine’s interests.
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