Ukraine’s new prime minister has vowed to reinvigorate its pro-EU reform drive, despite immediate doubts over the stability of his government and claims that it will do the bidding of shadowy tycoons.
Parliament approved Volodymyr Groysman as premier on Thursday, in a bid to end months of political paralysis that have rattled Ukraine’s western allies and frozen its access to international funding.
Mr Groysman, a former speaker of parliament who is a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko, takes over Ukraine at a time when reforms are stalled, an anti-corruption drive is in limbo and fighting in eastern regions between government troops and Russian-backed separatists is at its worst level in many months.
“I understand the threats that face us. In particular I would like to highlight three threats – corruption, ineffective governance and populism – which do not pose less of a threat than the enemy in eastern Ukraine,” Mr Groysman (38) told parliament.
“This government should be a ruling power of a new quality, which answers for its actions and results. I swear to you that I will serve the Ukrainian people and do everything to ensure that [not] you, nor the president, nor the Ukrainian people will be ashamed of my work,” he told parliament.
As Mr Groysman spoke, some deputies shouted “Shame!” and claimed the ruling coalition did not have a real majority in the chamber, and had secured the votes needed to approve the cabinet from among the ranks of parties controlled by Ukraine’s business barons, known as oligarchs.
The new ruling alliance comprises Mr Poroshenko's eponymous bloc and the People's Front of the outgoing prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, but several noted anti-corruption campaigners in the president's party did not support Mr Groysman's appointment.
One of them, Serhiy Leshchenko, noted that the new government was installed thanks to votes from deputies closely linked to leading oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and other tycoons in the energy industry.
Oleh Lyashko, leader of the populist Radical Party, said the new government was the result of "a deal between the oligarchs and the remnants of the Regions Party", referring to the regime ousted in a 2014 pro-western revolution.
The party of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko also refused to support the new coalition and government, saying that its members wanted above all to "hold on to their seats and keep corruptly using financial resources".
“We cannot support the total ‘oligarchisation’ of our state,” she added.
The EU and US will keep a close eye on the performance of the new cabinet, and particularly finance minister Oleksandr Danylyuk, another ally of Mr Poroshenko. Several other key ministers – of defence, interior affairs, justice and foreign affairs – remain unchanged.
