A day before, he was dancing and singing in front of thousands of supporters onstage near central Kyiv’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium. But on April 15, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko turned his attention to the business community.
Together with Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the president attended a meeting with members of Ukraine’s biggest business association, the European Business Association, or EBA, at the Intercontinental Kyiv hotel. There he talked legislation, announced that he had signed a new bankruptcy law, and promised to further foster de-regulation in the government sector.
With the runoff election fast approaching on April 21, Poroshenko has had an unusually busy schedule. He has attended public events on a daily basis and given a surprising number of interviews to the press — behavior typically out of character for the president.
That makes sense: Poroshenko is trailing behind his opponent, comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to polls. He needs to argue his case as forcefully as possible.
During the meeting with the European Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, he likely accomplished that. Poroshenko opened his remarks with a monologue from Zelenskiy’s hit television show “Servant of the People,” provoking laughter and applause from the gathered business leaders.
In that scene, Zelenskiy’s character, President Vasyl Holoborodko, delivers a populist rant against the International Monetary Fund and the “dictates of Europe.” The implication was clear: Zelenskiy is unfit to lead Ukraine on its path or liberalization and integration with the European Union.
Zelenskiy hasn’t stated that the TV series will be his political road map if elected, but his opponents suggest otherwise.
Later on, Poroshenko and Groysman took aim at Zelenskiy again for dodging meetings with Poroshenko and the business community.
Taking action
Poroshenko’s appearance at the business event stressed that the president is a man of action — a role he has tried to emphasize since coming in second in the first round of the election on March 31.
Poroshenko has sacked controversial governors, met with anti-corruption activists, and made promises for his second term. He has even admitted mistakes from his first term.
On April 14, during the rally at Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Poroshenko announced that he had fired Serhiy Semochko, deputy head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. In 2018, journalists discovered that Semochko’s Russia-connected family had grown vastly rich during his tenure in office — a revelation that provoked outrage in Ukraine.
During the April 15 business meeting, the president made another announcement: he had signed into effect a new law on bankruptcy. The new regulation allows borrowers to initiate bankruptcy proceedings to clear their debt obligations, while depriving lenders of the same right. The law also envisions selling bankrupt property through electronic auctions.
The president also reassured the gathered business leaders that he favors lifting the country’s moratorium on the land sales, which stifles foreign direct investment in Ukraine. However, Poroshenko did not give a direct answer on whether the moratorium would be prolonged, as it was for five years under his presidency.
“I think Ukrainians and Ukraine will be much freer when the moratorium will be lifted,” he said.
On corruption, Poroshenko said that much progress has been made. The president stated that he doesn’t have the power to imprison corrupt officials, but that his goal is to create a system in which corrupt officials will be jailed according to the law. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the country’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Ukraine’s most recent corruption scandal struck close to home for Poroshenko. In February, investigative journalists revealed that the son of Oleh Hladkovskyi, then the deputy head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and Poroshenko’s longtime business partner, was involved in a scheme to smuggle used parts for military equipment from Russia and sell them to state defense companies at inflated prices. According to the journalists, Hladkovskyi was aware of the scheme.
Hladkovskyi was fired, but no legal charges have been brought against the ex-official.
During the meeting, Poroshenko even had nice words to say about the Kyiv Post — despite avoiding questions from the newspaper for over three years. Asked for an interview by the Kyiv Post, Poroshenko said the he had begun reading the Kyiv Post and that the newspaper is “doing a great job.”
“I highly value when there is objective information with two points of view… and I am very thankful for this,” he said.
Uncertainty
Anna Derevyanko, EBA’s executive director, told the Kyiv Post that, even though the incumbent president is talkative and open during meetings with the business community, the meetings could have been organized on a more regular basis. The business community in other parts of Europe has more access to government officials, she added.
As for Zelenskiy, Derevyannko said that the business community could say little. It lacks a clear understanding of what to expect from the presidential race frontrunner, who has only had one meeting with business leaders.
Several other EBA members and guests at the event expressed a sense of uncertainty. Virtually everyone was aware that, according to polls, Poroshenko would likely be leaving office. But the business community lacked a clear picture of what to expect beyond that.
With less than a week before the runoff vote, Poroshenko doesn’t have the option of leaving any uncertainty.
