Poroshenko Bloc endorses Jaresko as prime minister

The Petro Poroshenko Bloc is endorsing the appointment of Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko as prime minister to lead a technocratic Cabinet, Parliamentary Faction Head Yuriy Lutsenko told the Inter television network on March 20. He said he hopes parliament will vote on March 24 for a new prime minister, Cabinet and program. The new Cabinet needs to be approved as soon as possible in order to halt the lack of activity of the current government, he said, ruling out the possibility that Arseniy Yatsenyuk and all the current ministers will remain in his post.

Jaresko told Kyiv reporters on March 20 she has no ambitions to become prime minister. “My goal is to help the Ukrainian people, currently in the position of finance minister. Tomorrow will be what will be,” she said.

Zenon Zawada: Jaresko issued a list of demands to become prime minister, including no party quotas in forming the next Cabinet, the full support of whatever parliamentary coalition emerges, as well as certain personnel. Not only do we think it’s unlikely Jaresko will get her demands met, but we don’t think a coalition supporting a technocratic government will emerge after last week’s developments. Self-Reliance already put forth unrealistic demands for supporting a new government, while Oleh Liashko’s Radical Party is strictly interested in securing government posts.

MP Serhiy Leshchenko suggested on his Facebook page that all the publicity surrounding Jaresko’s nomination is being used as a smokescreen and that could very well be the case. The most likely scenarios for forming the next government coalition are: (1) Poroshenko Bloc, People’s Front and Radical Party, or (2) the current Cabinet remaining in place until September, when new early parliamentary elections could be called. The second option is more likely and, unfortunately, far worse than the first, likely delaying the arrival of the next IMF loan.