Zelenskiy supports independent central bank, farmland market

If elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy would
preserve the central bank’s independence and keep its governor, Yakiv Smoliy,
Ukraine’s former Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius told Reuters in an
article published on Apr. 12. He would also lobby a reluctant parliament to
lift a moratorium on the sale of farmland and change how businesses are taxed,
said Abromavicius, who is one of two former ministers serving as advisers to
the Zelenskiy campaign in order to earn the confidence of investors. Zelenskiy
has met IMF officials and the two sides agreed neither wants Ukraine to be in
an IMF program as such, Abromavicius said. He added that the IMF’s departure depended on
Ukraine being successful, implementing reforms, paying back debts and tapping
into open markets.

Another adviser, former Finance Minister Alex
Danylyuk, accompanied Zelenskiy to an Apr. 12 meeting with French President
Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Danylyuk was seated to the right
of Zelenskiy at the negotiating table, while on his lefthand side was Ruslan
Riaboshapka, a former deputy justice minister. Zelenskiy told Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty afterwards they had a “very constructive meeting,” during
which they discussed “ceasing the war in Donbas,” among other topics.

Zenon Zawada: The instability created by a Zelenskiy presidency will affect
Ukraine’s political situation before it reaches the financial sphere. The
biggest risk so far is if he acts as a passive or weak president, a vacuum that
will be seized upon by veteran politicians, like Yulia Tymoshenko. She already
advocated throughout her campaign for amending the Constitution to strip the
presidency of its remaining authority (mostly in foreign policy and defense) in
order to create a parliamentary republic. Judging by her comments made on Apr.
12 on the presidential race, Tymoshenko is already skeptical of Zelenskiy and
looks to be merely preparing for the opportune moment in the coming months to
go into full opposition to him in order to propose stripping authority from
him. The farmland market is a key issue to begin her attacks on Zelenskiy,
considering she has always been staunchly opposed to its creation.