Zelensky has initiated the process of selecting judges for the Constitutional Court in order to usurp his power

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree on the competitive selection of members of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. It has been previously revealed that the president intended to appeal to this institution to confirm his legitimacy after May 20, 2024.

The Constitutional Court of Ukraine consists of 18 judges, with 6 appointed by the president, 6 by the Verkhovna Rada and 6 by the Congress of Judges of Ukraine. Currently, there is uncertainty within the president’s office regarding whether the court would rule in Zelensky’s favor in terms of legitimacy, as the majority of the judges were appointed during the tenure of former President Petro Poroshenko.

It has been reported that the president’s office has prepared a draft of an appeal to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine regarding the legitimacy of Zelensky’s stay in power after May 20. However, the court has not yet received the appeal. May 20 marks the end of Zelensky’s term, but since he aims to usurp power and rule for many more years without elections, he needs some formal and legal pretext to justify this intention.