Tihipko rumored to be Ukraine PM soon, media report

President Zelensky
is considering veteran politician and businessman Serhiy Tihipko for the post of prime minister,
KyivPost reported on Feb. 25 citing three sources in the government. Another
media outlet, pravda.com.ua, confirmed on Feb. 25 that Tihipko is seriously considered by the
president as an alternative to PM Oleksiy Honcharuk but that there is no final
decision yet. Initially, the president saw Tihipko in the position of a deputy PM
who would strengthen the economic and industrial direction in Honcharuk’s
Cabinet. Tihipko
was visiting president’s office last week to discuss such an opportunity,
various media reported. In the morning of Feb. 26, another media outlet, lb.ua,
claimed that the question of Tihipko appointment to the position of PM “has been agreed by
99%”. This scenario assumes that the current PM, Honcharuk, would resign
voluntarily in the coming couple of weeks.

Ideas to strengthen or change the Cabinet emerged in
January, in line with a significant deterioration of public support for
Honcharuk’s government and increased pressure on him in media, which culminated
with the scandalous publishing of recordings from a secret top officials
meeting where Honcharuk acknowledged that both he and Zelensky lack economic
competence.

Tihipko was working at various top
positions in the government since 1997, under presidents Leonid Kuchma and
Viktor Yanukovych. Under president Kuchma, he served as deputy PM, Economy
Minister (in the Cabinet of PM Viktor Yuschenko, who later became president) and the
governor of Ukraine’s central bank. Under president Yanukovych, he served as
Social Policy Minister and Deputy PM, when he implemented the first painful
pension reform in 2011.

Alexander Paraschiy: Rumors that the existing Cabinet would be replaced sometime in March
began to spread as early as in late December. As the latest polls indicate
extremely weak support for Honcharuk and his Cabinet and still high public support for Zelensky, a populistic decision to
replace an “unpopular” PM does not lack logic. Also, for Tihipko, a successful
businessman, the position of Deputy PM in Honcharuk’s Cabinet – the seat that he had occupied two decades ago -does not look adequate to
his ambitions or interests. For that reason, Tihipko is indeed very likely to become PM soon. If
that happens, we do not expect any significant changes in the policy of the
government, while some important and painful directions (industry, energy,
healthcare) could be strengthened.