Selenski under pressure: Domestic peace is shaky

Vienna Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, national unity has been a raison d’être in Ukrainian domestic policy – but this agreement is now crumbling. Two conflicts make this clear: the political rivalry between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, and the dismissal of human rights commissioner Lyudmila Denisova. While these are very different cases on the surface, they both raise questions about the rule of law in the country and the concentration of power in the hands of the executive branch.

Their additional powers within the framework of the war-related state of emergency were passed by parliament several times without dissenting votes. The Human Rights Commissioner had denounced the Russian war crimes internationally, for example at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This was her undoing: Denisova spent too much time “in warm, quiet Western Europe” for Selensky’s party “Servants of the People”.

Another reason for her dismissal, according to the party, was her media work. Denisova has been criticized for not adequately protecting victims of sexual violence in their efforts to mobilize international support against Russia.

A group of 140 journalists and activists publicly criticized this in May. They urged Denizova to “refrain from overly detailed descriptions of wartime sex crimes and to check every word carefully to avoid sensationalism” in their statements. Politicians and representatives of civil society complained that Denizova was often unable to prove their allegations.

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This is a strong one Accusation in view of the inhuman scenes that Denisova described. According to media reports, she took these from descriptions by her daughter, a psychologist at the state victim helpline, which she had shared in posts on Facebook that have since been deleted. However, the former human rights commissioner is not the only representative of the government who tends to exaggerate.

Kyiv does not want to give Russia a reason for propaganda

Ukrainians now seem more aware that fake news plays into the hands of Moscow propaganda. The focus on provable actions is the logical consequence.

Nonetheless, Denisowa’s ouster leaves a stale aftertaste, as its legitimacy, even under the terms of martial law, is highly contested. For this reason, some of the same civil society actors who previously criticized her are now campaigning for her and calling for a transparent process for appointing her successor.

However, the president’s party is signaling that a loyalist will come into play – and may be citing precedent. Selensky’s predecessor Poroshenko appointed Denisova in 2018 not for technical but for political reasons.

Her dismissal therefore bears the traits of a tit-for-tat. The war was only able to defuse the omnipresent conflict between Zelensky and Poroshenko for a short time: On May 23, the Ukrainian secret service presented new alleged evidence in the trial against the former president for high treason, which has been ongoing since December.

Petro Poroshenko at a court hearing

The former president is accused of high treason.

(Photo: imago images/Ukrinform)

During his tenure, he was accused of importing hard coal from the separatist “People’s Republics” in eastern Ukraine and using it to finance terrorist organizations. The pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested in April, is the key witness.

According to Zelensky’s office, Poroshenko and Medvedchuk worked together to make Ukraine dependent on Russia. That and the signing of the Minsk Peace Accords would have laid the foundations for today’s war.

In this case, too, the criticism is partly legitimate: it is undisputed that the oligarch Poroshenko made many rotten compromises, not least out of consideration for business interests. However, both the coal deals and the Minsk agreements were makeshift solutions given the dependency on Moscow that already existed as a result of the Russian aggression in 2014 and entanglements in energy policy.

At that time, the Ukrainian army was incapable of effectively resisting Russia. Poroshenko is therefore right in saying that Ukraine at least delayed a total war with the agreement and thus strengthened the armed forces.

More Handelsblatt articles on the war in Ukraine

With the allegation of collaboration between the Ukrainian nationalist Poroshenko and Putin’s confidante Medvedchuk, Zelenskiy is potentially getting rid of two competitors in one fell swoop. In any case, Poroshenko tried to travel abroad a few days after the announcement by the secret service.

He only received an exit permit on the third attempt, which prompted his party to state that Zelensky was breaking the “political ceasefire” and thus endangering “a pillar of national unity against Russian aggression”. Poroshenko is staying in London for the time being, although he initially wanted to return after a few days.

Depending on your perspective, the affairs of the last few days can be interpreted as a return to unpleasant but familiar political practices or as an escalation of domestic political struggles. Critics repeatedly accuse Selenski of using the judiciary against his opponents and weakening the separation of powers even before the war. The state of war has increased its possibilities.

In addition, he seems to be increasingly relying on the secret service, which also plays a leading role in the trial against Poroshenko: there is a bill in parliament for the unification of counterintelligence and military intelligence. This is to be better used through new competencies to ward off Russian infiltration, which is accompanied by extended surveillance of its own citizens and reduced parliamentary oversight.

More: Political scientist: “The longer the war lasts, the greater the threat to Ukrainian democracy”

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