Zelenskyy Changes Course After Harsh Criticism of New Law
The Ukrainian president has today approved a new bill following several days of protests in Ukraine and strong criticism from EU colleagues.
By
Mille Vejen Vig Fich
15 min. ago
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has today approved a new bill aimed at preserving the independence of the country’s anti-corruption authorities.
”I have just approved the text of a bill that guarantees a real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, independence for anti-corruption authorities, and reliable protection of the law enforcement system against any Russian influence or interference,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Zelenskyy also wrote that the bill’s text was “well-balanced” but provided no further details. Therefore, we don’t know specifically what it contains.
However, according to Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities themselves, the bill will restore their independence. The authorities are calling for a quick vote in parliament, Reuters reports.
The bill has been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament, but it is still unclear when they will vote on it. According to the Kyiv Independent, the parliament’s speaker says it will be dealt with within a month.
It was just two days ago that the Ukrainian president adopted a law that placed two anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAP, under the politically appointed prosecutor general.
At the time, Zelenskyy explained that he was limiting the agencies’ power because he was concerned about Russian influence. Ukraine’s security services had conducted searches and arrested individuals in the anti-corruption agencies whom they believed to be Russian spies.
’Protests have become a last resort’
Tetiana Shevchuk is a board member of one of Ukraine’s most well-known anti-corruption organizations, the Anticorruption Action Centre.
”The president initially tried to postpone a solution, but has now proposed a new law that is supposed to repeal the original one.
In recent days, several thousand Ukrainians have taken to the streets in protest in major Ukrainian cities against the new law, which many consider to be undemocratic, among other things.
And Tetiana Shevchuk explains that in Ukraine there is very little room to speak out against those in power, which is why protests are an important weapon.
”Protests have become a last resort, and it is important that President Zelenskyy remembers to listen to the people,” she says.
Tetiana Shevchuk believes that Zelenskyy’s statements today are an expression of him having given in to the demonstrators’ protests.
”I really hope that this lesson will be learned, and that they do not take any other foolish actions that will make people angry and make them protest,” she says on P1 Orientering.
Ukraine in the EU?
If you ask Lykke Friis, director of the Think Tank Europa, it looks like Zelenskyy has made a bit of a U-turn today.
A U-turn that has been dependent on two things:
”It is crucial that Ukraine, which was supposed to keep Putin at bay, suddenly now has to spend time discussing with itself.”
”I also think it has been crucial that the EU and a number of heads of state and government have reacted very sharply. When you want to join the EU, it plays a decisive role,” she says.
In addition, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have also agreed to hold in-depth discussions with Zelenskyy on anti-corruption, says Stefan Cornelius, spokesman for the German government.
He also says that Ukraine is currently at a turning point regarding EU membership.
Read also: Ukrainian anti-corruption fighter fears bleak times after new law: ‘An attempt to silence us’
Zelenskyy also writes on the social media platform X that he has invited German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this evening to participate in an expert review of the bill. According to Zelenskyy, Merz has promised him his support.
If the European Commission previously assessed that Ukraine was on its way to the EU accession room, then the anti-corruption case may have put a damper on ambitions, Lykke Friis believes.
”I am at least concerned if the ambition is to initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine during the Danish presidency. And it has otherwise been Denmark’s ambition to see if they could push Ukraine as far forward as possible.”
She adds that with the new bill, the commission may assess that the fight against corruption in Ukraine is back to the level it was before.
Read also: Criticized Ukrainian measure ‘can make it difficult for Ukraine to get EU membership’
She emphasizes, however, that it may take time before the draft is adopted, and that we do not yet know what it specifically states.
”And that creates considerable uncertainty about Ukraine’s ability to enter the EU negotiation room under the Danish presidency,” she adds.
Furthermore, Lykke Friis highlights that the case also calls into question the attitudes of European citizens regarding whether Ukraine should still be an EU member. Because there are concerns about whether Ukraine has gotten rid of corruption, she says.
”So I think this case will be remembered, and that there will later be a need to clean up after it again.”
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Machine translated by Gemini
Zelenskyy Changes Course After Harsh Criticism of New Law
The Ukrainian president has today approved a new bill following several days of protests in Ukraine and strong criticism from EU colleagues.
By
Mille Vejen Vig Fich
15 min. ago
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has today approved a new bill aimed at preserving the independence of the country’s anti-corruption authorities.
”I have just approved the text of a bill that guarantees a real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, independence for anti-corruption authorities, and reliable protection of the law enforcement system against any Russian influence or interference,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Zelenskyy also wrote that the bill’s text was “well-balanced” but provided no further details. Therefore, we don’t know specifically what it contains.
However, according to Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities themselves, the bill will restore their independence. The authorities are calling for a quick vote in parliament, Reuters reports.
The bill has been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament, but it is still unclear when they will vote on it. According to the Kyiv Independent, the parliament’s speaker says it will be dealt with within a month.
It was just two days ago that the Ukrainian president adopted a law that placed two anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAP, under the politically appointed prosecutor general.
At the time, Zelenskyy explained that he was limiting the agencies’ power because he was concerned about Russian influence. Ukraine’s security services had conducted searches and arrested individuals in the anti-corruption agencies whom they believed to be Russian spies.
’Protests have become a last resort’
Tetiana Shevchuk is a board member of one of Ukraine’s most well-known anti-corruption organizations, the Anticorruption Action Centre.
”The president initially tried to postpone a solution, but has now proposed a new law that is supposed to repeal the original one.
Nevertheless, the demonstrators are still dissatisfied and demand quick action. Preferably as early as the beginning of next week,” she says.
A demonstrator with a sign with the slogans: ‘War cannot be an excuse for everything’. (Photo: © Rostyslav Averchuk, Ritzau Scanpix)
In recent days, several thousand Ukrainians have taken to the streets in protest in major Ukrainian cities against the new law, which many consider to be undemocratic, among other things.
And Tetiana Shevchuk explains that in Ukraine there is very little room to speak out against those in power, which is why protests are an important weapon.
”Protests have become a last resort, and it is important that President Zelenskyy remembers to listen to the people,” she says.
Tetiana Shevchuk believes that Zelenskyy’s statements today are an expression of him having given in to the demonstrators’ protests.
”I really hope that this lesson will be learned, and that they do not take any other foolish actions that will make people angry and make them protest,” she says on P1 Orientering.
Ukraine in the EU?
If you ask Lykke Friis, director of the Think Tank Europa, it looks like Zelenskyy has made a bit of a U-turn today.
A U-turn that has been dependent on two things:
”It is crucial that Ukraine, which was supposed to keep Putin at bay, suddenly now has to spend time discussing with itself.”
”I also think it has been crucial that the EU and a number of heads of state and government have reacted very sharply. When you want to join the EU, it plays a decisive role,” she says.
Among others, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, wrote on the social media platform X that she is “seriously concerned” about the new law, which she calls a “serious step backward.”
Here, Mette Frederiksen welcomes Zelenskyy to Aarhus in connection with the start of the Danish EU presidency. She called him an important part of the European family in that regard. (Photo: © Liselotte Sabroe, Ritzau Scanpix)
This evening, among others, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has spoken with the Ukrainian president. They agreed on the importance of independent anti-corruption institutions as the core of Ukraine’s democracy, Reuters reports.
In addition, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have also agreed to hold in-depth discussions with Zelenskyy on anti-corruption, says Stefan Cornelius, spokesman for the German government.
He also says that Ukraine is currently at a turning point regarding EU membership.
Read also: Ukrainian anti-corruption fighter fears bleak times after new law: ‘An attempt to silence us’
Zelenskyy also writes on the social media platform X that he has invited German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this evening to participate in an expert review of the bill. According to Zelenskyy, Merz has promised him his support.
If the European Commission previously assessed that Ukraine was on its way to the EU accession room, then the anti-corruption case may have put a damper on ambitions, Lykke Friis believes.
”I am at least concerned if the ambition is to initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine during the Danish presidency. And it has otherwise been Denmark’s ambition to see if they could push Ukraine as far forward as possible.”
She adds that with the new bill, the commission may assess that the fight against corruption in Ukraine is back to the level it was before.
Read also: Criticized Ukrainian measure ‘can make it difficult for Ukraine to get EU membership’
She emphasizes, however, that it may take time before the draft is adopted, and that we do not yet know what it specifically states.
”And that creates considerable uncertainty about Ukraine’s ability to enter the EU negotiation room under the Danish presidency,” she adds.
Furthermore, Lykke Friis highlights that the case also calls into question the attitudes of European citizens regarding whether Ukraine should still be an EU member. Because there are concerns about whether Ukraine has gotten rid of corruption, she says.
”So I think this case will be remembered, and that there will later be a need to clean up after it again.”
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