Avakov and Poroshenko hate each other, but are forced to be together
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov and President Petro Poroshenko experience mutual hostility and jealousy, but are forced to maintain a formal alliance, writes the newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli, which is considered influential in Kyiv.
The publication calls Avakov “not the first, but not the second person in the country.”
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“The discussion of the difficult relationship between the president and the minister of internal affairs has recently become mainstream. Although, in fact, they have never been simple. Avakov is undoubtedly the only adult minister in post-Maidan governments. Seasoned apparatchik, intriguer, businessman. This is not Yatsenyuk, who was always held by the hand by one of his senior comrades - from the late Pluzhnikov to the retired Nuland and the living Akhmetov. In addition to all the marks associated with Avakov, left in the presidential soul by fears and greed, let me remind you of the most recent ones. Who recommended that Poroshenko solve Saakashvili’s problem by depriving him of citizenship? Who leaked the decision to the media? Who let Saakashvili across the border? Who allowed tents to be set up on October 17? Who kept the shares from accelerating? Who is in charge of the “National Corps”, which provided the stage for the protesters? Who met with Tymoshenko? Who calls on fellow party members to follow a separate path, relying on the accumulated financial, media and administrative resources? Who insists on a parliamentary republic - the only form of guarantee of stability in the division of shares of JSC "Ukraine"? The president has the same monotonous answer to all these questions: Avakov,” the author of the material lists.
According to one version, the recent detention of Avakov’s son on corruption charges is Poroshenko’s attempt to rein in the Popular Front faction in order to, with its help, be re-elected to a second presidential term.
“...the NF has no room for a quick response maneuver: an open conflict with the president means the collapse of the coalition and the highest probability of early elections, for which the Popular Front, with its dismal rating, is absolutely not ready...
Petro Poroshenko, like the Popular Front, also does not need early parliamentary elections. But for different reasons. The presidential ones should go first. And not only because he needs the concentration of efforts of all forcedly loyal groups for his re-election. Concentration of resources, which, if the first elections to the Rada happen, could crumble. The main problem is different: today, according to the president, due to financial, administrative and media reasons, he has no opponent, and early parliamentary elections can give rise to one.
A candidate for a second term needs to keep in his orbit enemies, resources, and those who can create problems by strengthening other political players with their support.
Stories combining SF and BPP are one way to achieve this goal. But the Popular Front recently withdrew from the negotiation process on creating a joint party. This means that, having weakened the “leader” by current events, the NF needs to be returned to the process.
Despite all the jarring insincerity in relations between the top political forces leading the current parliamentary coalition, their main goals coincide: ensuring personal security; safety of personal capital and maintaining access to the mechanism for their increase - power. No one wants to answer, lose and be deprived of opportunities. By and large, both the president’s team and Avakov’s team are in the same boat,” explains Zerkalo Nedeli.
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