Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmytro Razumkov is the latest ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky to part ways with him.
Razumkov’s criticism of Zelensky is about to cost him his job in leading a parliament controlled by the president’s Servant of the People party, one of the last obstacles to Zelensky’s control over the legislature and government.
An ex-key adviser credited with helping Zelensky get elected in 2019, Razumkov has not disguised his personal political ambitions as he distances himself from the president.
The rift between former allies accelerated after Zelensky threw down the gauntlet to the oligarchs with a new law designed to clip their wings. The opposition has questioned both the motive behind Zelensky’s move and the manner in which it is being carried out.
Razumkov voiced his concerns and has attempted to block or delay the adoption of the law by questioning its consistency with democratic and constitutional norms, after first speaking in favor of the need to break up the oligarchy. Zelensky’s close allies linked the speaker’s opposition to the law with his frequent appearances on Ukrainian oligarch-controlled TV channels.
Razumkov has previously dissented from his party’s line on other major issues, such as the imposition of sanctions on three pro-Kremlin TV propaganda channels. He now often appears on the channels of various oligarchs implicitly or explicitly challenging Zelensky’s policies.
Razumkov’s ability to make connections across the aisle and publicly support only popular legislation has made the speaker a trusted politician with electoral potential. For those reasons, removing Razumkov is seen as a logical and timely step for the president.
Losing one of the last persons daring to criticize the president across all three branches of government gives Zelensky far greater powers. Razumkov’s potential successor will be loyal to the president and will most likely actively work to get the president’s agenda adopted into law. Yet, the country is poorly served by the reduced checks on the president.
By the time of the next presidential election in 2024, Ukraine will know whether Razumkov is a serious contender or just another political casualty whose career ended because of his criticism of the president.
Either way, the Zelensky administration has a long way to go to even remotely live up to its promises of ending Russia’s war, taking on corruption, developing strong institutions, establishing rule of law, and modernizing an economy in a way that attracts rather than repels foreign direct investment. It’s possible, but not clear now, how replacing Razumkov as speaker will advance progress on these goals.
