1 August 2014
Ukraine’s parliament rejected on July 31 the resignation letter submitted by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on July 25, a day after two of the three factions in the parliamentary coalition refused to support the budget and tax code amendments and abandoned the coalition. Only 16 MPs voted to accept his resignation letter.
Zenon Zawada: Yatsenyuk’s dramatic maneuvers last week were a political demarche that succeeded in jolting pro-EU forces in government to approve painful tax hikes and revenue-boosting measures, particularly targeting Ukrainian oligarchs and high-ranking state officials. With the gambit, he also demonstrated to his rivals that he wasn’t going to become the scapegoat for the government’s failures. As a result, Yatsenyuk not only got most of the necessary legislation passed but boosted his standing among the Ukrainian electorate as a committed reformer willing to put his career on the line for the nation’s best interests.
Indeed Ukraine’s politicians want Yatsenyuk to continue serving as prime minister, particularly because of his ability to secure Western financing. With yesterday’s affirmation of his performance, he will serve until early parliamentary elections are held (probably in mid-October) and the new parliament forms the new Cabinet.
Speculation has emerged on which political force he will align himself with for the elections, or whether he will launch his own party. Either way, his political maneuvering during the last week has renewed his status as one of Ukraine’s most popular politicians, rebounding from his lackluster performance during the EuroMaidan protests.