Kiev, Ukraine (AP) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Quick Reverse course Last month, a law that curbed the independence of the country’s anti-corruption clock after that Wide protests It was the first time that threatened the stability of his leadership. Since the Russian invasion.
Damage to the image of the President is unlikely to be easily changed.
Zelenskyy’s reversal followed years of public grievances that simmered around his inner circle. Accused of corruption. However, Ukrainians rely largely on the president during the war, and even trust them to lead the fight against the Kremlin and to acquiesce the suspension of civil liberties.
The protests showed the limits of its goodwill after the public concluded that a rapid pursuit of Zelensky’s law was too far away.
“People will support Zelensky no matter what he does, as it relates to war. But “the level of trust he prior to doing everything right without external interests is damaged,” said Tetiana Shevchuk, an executive at Ukrainian nonprofit anti-corruption conduct centre.
a Gallup Poll was released on Thursday Approximately two-thirds of Ukrainians have found that 84% in 2022 have approved the way Zelenskyy handles his job as president. Another poll Released on Wednesday by the Kiev Institute for International Sociology, it discovered a similar pattern of trust in Zelensky just before the war began, and a sharp decline since the law was signed.
Both polls were conducted in July to exclude adults who are not controlled by Ukraine or who live in areas of the country under Russian control.
First decision Sign the proposal Zelensky has undermined his position among Ukrainians, loyal lawmakers and Western allies.
Zelenskyy says the building was designed to eradicate Russian influence
Zelensky sparked protests when he signed measures to reduce the powers of the National Bureau of Anti-Corruption, Nab and the Professional Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, or SAPO.
Zelenskyy said the first bill was intended to eradicate Russian influence on these agencies, but he did not provide evidence to support the claim. The bill became a law very quickly, and lawmakers said they had little time to read it. For the Ukrainians, patience was thin.
From the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, public-like restrictions have been tolerated Martial Law Ordinance and Postponed election. However, critics also argued that the integration of presidential authority undermines the country’s democratic institutions, along with the checks and balances necessary for transparency. Zelenskyy’s inner circle and corruption allegations members promoted public responsiveness.
As a result Anti-corruption protest In July, Kiev and other cities were one of the largest in years, attracting thousands of demonstrators and reflecting widespread public demand for transparency and accountability even during the war.
“It’s not just one law that brought people onto the streets, it’s a series of events, mainly an accumulation of emotions, and I want to show that there is a certain red line in the government,” Shevchuk said.
Ukrainian leaders have been sensitive to public opinion ever since. Euromaidan’s protest 2013 and 2014 It sparked extraordinary political changeincluding the expulsion of pro-Russia President Viktor Janukovic. These protests marked a critical moment in Ukrainian history and promoted public intolerance against corruption and abuse of power.
Until recently, Zelenskyy’s decision and official statement were largely in line with public opinion. He looks closely at the polls. For example, he did not say that Ukraine cannot regain its territory comprehensively until a poll showed that Ukrainians are willing to end the war for territorial concessions.
Much of the suspicions about Zelensky’s inner circle focused on Andry Yahmack, the head of his presidential office, according to activists, Ukrainians and Western officials. In recent weeks, two other individuals close to Zelensky have sparked public outrage ahead of the protest.
The first was former Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olexii Chernishov, a close ally of the Zelensky tribe, who was officially appointed suspect in June in the famous land product case. Nabu later announced that he was the sixth suspect in a massive corruption scheme led by Kyiv’s real estate developer.
Another individual is Tymur Mindich, a close friend of Zelenskyy’s. Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainskapuravda reported that Nab and SAPO are in the process of issuing formal notices of suspicions against businessmen involved in drone production.
“The Ukrainians are united around the president in his war efforts, in his efforts to obtain support from allies and necessary military aid,” Shevchuk said. “But at the same time, this is not noticed because people know what’s going on with the President’s close ally, the allegations of corruption.”
The protest reminded the president from people who basically said, ‘We see everything, we remember everything.’ And I don’t want the President to use his strength to protect corruption,” she added.
Lawmakers no longer blindly accept laws supported by Zelenskyy
Lawmakers who quickly passed the first law restricting Nabu and Sapo said the backlash weakened blind confidence in the bill supported by Zelenskyy. The bill supported by him was passed with little challenge, with few exceptions.
“I voted not because I agreed to the law, but because it was the president’s decision,” said Oleksandr Melezko, a member of Zelensky’s party. “I didn’t have time to read it, but I understood what was at risk and I voted like everyone else because we trusted the president. That’s his decision and we are team players.”
Zelenskyy himself acknowledged the lack of legal communication.
“There must have been a dialogue. Communication is always necessary,” he told reporters on July 24th.
His firm belief in Zelensky joked that if a lawmaker nominated a spoon for the prime minister, Congress would likely vote in favor. But that sentiment has changed, Mereziko said, and the Congress is now more independent.
“Now, members of Congress will be more cautious,” he said. “We now have an estimate of distrust before there is a presumption of trust regarding the president or cabinet of the bill. If a similar bill is introduced, members of Congress will “remember what happened.”
However, lawmakers praised Zelenskyy for reversing his decision and acting quickly to calm his rage on the streets. Last week, Congress passed another bill that restored independence between NABU and SAPO.
“People asked for changes. We answered,” Zelensky told reporters.
The law also raised questions in the West
The proposed law also raised concerns among Ukraine’s European allies. He suggested that it could risk support for Kiev and affect Ukraine’s bids to join the EU. Ukraine’s closest allies welcomed a quick turnaround.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer raised the issue in a call with Zelenskyy on July 24th. Reading the phone call from the priority position said leaders “concurred with the importance of the role of independent anti-corruption institutions at the heart of Ukraine’s democracy.”
In Germany, Foreign Minister Johann Wadehul expressed disappointment when Zelensky approved measures to reduce the power of Nab and Sapo. When Zelenskyy reversed the course, Wadephul wrote to X that the Ukrainian Parliament vote was “a positive and necessary step to regaining lost trust.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who often weighs foreign issues, including domestic issues, is silent about Ukraine’s corruption laws.
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Associated Press author Michelle Price and Washington’s Amelia Thomson DeBaux contributed to the report.
