Zelensky made personnel changes in the government due to a decline in his popularity – The Economist

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made government reshuffles due to a decline in his own popularity.

This was reported by the British magazine The Economist.

“As his popularity declines, Volodymyr Zelensky is reshuffling his cabinet,” the article is titled.

The publication also notes that the government’s approval ratings have been dropping.

“The president couldn’t ignore the significant drop in the government’s popularity, as recorded in public opinion polls in recent months. Since elections have been canceled during the war, this was one of the few levers he could use,” the article states.

The magazine highlights “dysfunction” in the country’s governance, noting that “even members of his own party (‘Sluga Naroda’) mocked the process, and three of the seven dismissals failed.”

Special attention is given to the planned dismissal of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The magazine attributes his potential removal to his reluctance to be “harsh” with Western diplomats.

It is noted that Kuleba’s diplomacy “did not always align with the boss’s harsh and emotional rhetoric. In the president’s administration, complaints were made that Kuleba avoids getting his hands dirty.”

The Economist writes that Kuleba’s fate was sealed as early as April when his potential replacement, Andriy Sybiha, was transferred from the President’s Office to the position of deputy minister.

However, Kuleba’s dismissal was delayed due to “pressure from the U.S. State Department.” Now, with election season underway in the U.S., American attention is focused elsewhere, a source noted.

At the same time, U.S. pressure was reportedly the reason for the resignation of Rostyslav Shurma, deputy head of the President’s Office.

“Oleksandr Kamyshin, the outgoing Minister of Strategic Industries, is expected to take over part of Shurma’s portfolio. In normal times, moving from a ministerial role to a presidential advisory position might be seen as a demotion. Insiders say that in times of increased power within the presidential office, it’s quite the opposite,” the publication notes.

Therefore, “ministerial changes are unlikely to have a significant impact—either on the government or on the increasingly unstable front line in eastern Ukraine.”

“However, some sources describe the changes as further consolidation of power around Volodymyr Zelensky’s influential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak,” the magazine concludes.