Tymoshenko calls upon support to become prime minister

Anti-IMF populist Yulia Tymoshenko called upon Ukrainians
to vote for her Fatherland party at the July 21 early parliamentary elections
so that she can return as prime minister. “If people vote for our party, truly,
I as a leader can compete for the prime minister post,” she told Ukrainian
state radio on May 29. True to her populist style, she vowed to raise the
average monthly pension to about UAH 4,000 and cut the natural gas price for
households, in violation of Ukraine’s IMF obligations.

Tymoshenko stressed her party is not in opposition to
President Zelenskiy. “We wanted to give him our New Economic Course that we
developed and which can fulfill wholesale changes in Ukraine,” she said. “It
offers the possibility to achieve Poland’s level in five years and develop the
country further. We don’t plan to create a unified opposition. We want to help
the president, who was elected by the people.”

Zenon Zawada:
Tymoshenko’s Fatherland party will certainly qualify for parliament, with at
least a 5% result, but it’s doubtful Tymoshenko will become prime minister.
Both Tymoshenko and her party have already peaked in their popularity and have
entered their political twilight. Moreover, Ukraine’s politicians are quite
aware that Tymoshenko would derail IMF cooperation, not only by opposing
natural gas price hikes but also the launch of a farmland market. It’s also
worth considering that her party enjoys the support of Kolomoisky, who recently
voiced his own IMF skepticism.