Azarov likely to remain PM, president says

President Viktor Yanukovych indicated on Dec. 5 that acting Prime Minister Mykola Azarov is the leading current candidate for the PM post. Azarov submitted his resignation last week – following the parliamentary vote – after serving as prime minister since March 2010. “He has a big chance,” the president said. “A lot depends on who he brings to his team now, who he will present. I want to hear fresh ideas from the government.”

Zenon Zawada: There are only two real candidates for the prime minister post – Azarov and National Bank of Ukraine Chair Serhiy Arbuzov, who has close personal ties to the president’s family. Yet the candidacy of Arbuzov – who is 36 years old with limited political experience – is too controversial even for some MPs representing the ruling party, which makes the probability of his approval by parliament very low. Moreover, it would be very risky to appoint “a young and prospective politician” like Arbuzov as PM in the current extremely fragile political and economic condition. The return of the nearly 65-year-old  Azarov won’t rock the boat.