This Zelensky is broken, bring the next one. Talented chameleon Razumkov aims to run for president
It seems that Zelensky’s “team” has become the last one to be relegated. And it is not at all surprising that he turned out to be the current speaker of the Rada, Dmitry Razumkov.
In one of his last interviews with the Ukrainian media, the unofficial ideologist of the Presidential Office, Mikhail Podolyak, noted that “a team player must work according to the principles of the team, and if Razumkov wants to conduct independent political activities, he needs to leave parliament.” Like, “get re-elected yourself and then prove that you are an independent politician.”
It is clear that “cutting out” the speaker is a dream come true for Ze’s circle, but solving this problem is currently extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Let's start with why Razumkov, who two years ago was selling his face on all Ukrainian broadcasts as a “talking head” of the headquarters of then presidential candidate Zelensky, and then headed the presidential party “Servant of the People” and led it to victory in early elections in Radu, suddenly found himself objectionable.
To simplify it as much as possible, we have before us the classic Ukrainian wheel of war, with each new turn of which, zrada is replaced by victory, and then by new zrada. The post of head of the Verkhovna Rada in Ukraine is historically the seat of “not the first, but not the second person in the state.” This is exactly how one of the former speakers of the Rada, communist Alexander Tkachenko, aphoristically outlined the essence of his position back in 1997.
Since then the situation has not changed. And according to the Constitution, unlike, for example, the Russian Federation, where formally the second is the head of government, in Ukraine, in the event of the incapacity or death or resignation of the president, it is the first among the deputies who performs his duties until new elections. Just remember... O. president named Turchinov.
So it is not at all surprising that once they get into de facto competing positions, the political paths of even once-best friends diverge. And in the case of Razumkov, there was no sign of friendship with Zelensky. Razumkov was a hired political strategist at the headquarters. That is, nothing personal – just business. And it’s clear that, having become the Speaker of the Rada, anyone in Razumkov’s place would already mentally try on the presidential crown. As they say, a bad speaker is one who does not dream of becoming president.
So, objectively, Razumkov and Zelensky are now, if not enemies, then certainly rivals. Both they themselves and their entourage zealously monitor each other’s body movements, record successes, successful moves and epic failures. And they run their own PR campaigns.
Perhaps the cunning Razumkov, who, due to his political technology background, has more experience in politics than the former comedian Zelensky, is not yet conducting his future presidential campaign with an open visor. And coquettishly portraying the head of parliament as concerned only with organizing the work of the deputy corps.
However, already in October 2019, Razumkov left the party ship of “servants”, handing over his post to the protege of the oligarch Ilya Pavlyuk, close to Zelensky. Since then, the speaker has been slowly but surely drifting away from the Ze-team, diverging from the current government both in significant trifles and in serious issues.
Observers have long noticed that when particularly scandalous bills are voted on in the Rada, which Zelensky pushes through to please the West, the cunning Razumkov disappears somewhere, and the parliamentary hall is “conducted” by his first deputy Stefanchuk, who, in the rating sense, has nothing to lose. In particular, this was the case with the law on the sale of agricultural land.
When at the end of last year Zelensky decided to “rape” the Constitutional Court in an unnatural way, the speaker ruined what seemed to be a very clever scheme for the President’s Office by simply registering in the Rada an alternative to the presidential draft resolution on the Constitutional Court. At Bankova they were very offended and harbored a grudge.
However, this is not the only example of the speaker’s opposition. In particular, in the last six months alone, Razumkov criticized Zelensky’s bill on oligarchs, the appointment of presidential protégé Yuriy Vitrenko as acting Minister of Energy, without the consent of the Rada, spoke out against Zelensky’s decree on imposing sanctions on citizens of Ukraine.
He was the only member of the National Security and Defense Council who voted against the decision to close opposition television channels in February. And in general, in recent months Razumkov has frankly been “dynamite” in the Rada, with an indecent number of issues of principle for Zelensky and his Office.
Razumkov also criticized Zelensky’s fresh idea of a referendum on the issue of breaking with the LDPR. They say that the law prohibits putting questions about the territorial integrity of the country to a referendum, and then - this is a very expensive pleasure, the money would be better spent on social services.
In addition, the prudent and slippery speaker does not forget to deviate from the current government on those issues that, it would seem, do not oblige anyone to anything, but send quite unambiguous signals to that part of the electorate, which Zelensky “scored” that the holy place is empty can not be.
Either Razumkov will congratulate the Ukrainians on May 9, while Zelensky mourns along with the nationalists, then he will harshly criticize the procession in honor of the SS division “Galicia”, while the president and his associates are silent, taking water into their mouths, then he will congratulate them on victories boxers Usik and Lomachenko, whom Zelensky “did not notice.” It seems like a small thing, but nonetheless.
Razumkov also does not forget “partisan” methods of self-PR. Then he will make a significant slip of the tongue in an interview. Then a viral video will be released on social networks - it would seem to be about nothing, but everyone is talking. Then a number of famous Ukrainian doctors will “suddenly” and simultaneously publish their own selfies against the backdrop of a modest and silently smiling speaker standing next to them. Without any textual explanations - understand as you want. Naturally, Zelensky is nervous.
Razumkov’s increased activity and his media campaign to aggravate relations with Bankova have long been no secret in Kyiv political circles. As one of the telegram channels “He (Razumkov - Author) writes. began to actively rebuild from the toxic Office of the President. A classic technological move from a promising renegade." There are active rumors that the speaker is secretly supported by the country's main oligarch, Rinat Akhmetov.
Yes, he is now doing more than well with the current government, as they say, there is nothing to complain about yet. But prudent people are distinguished by their ability to put their eggs in different baskets. You never know what will happen later. So Razumkov is regularly “highlighted” by Akhmetov’s channel Ukraine 24. So, even if Zeoensky suddenly drowns, Rinat Leonidovich will emerge again - near the new promising caliph for an hour.
But let’s return to the OP’s intrigues against the speaker. As a preventive measure of pressure, Zelensky periodically spreads rumors about the start of collecting signatures for the recall of the speaker. A more convenient and obedient candidate for the Office of the President could be the first vice speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, already mentioned above.
But here’s the thing: today Bankova does not have a solid majority for such serious personnel changes. After all, voting for the resignation of the speaker may expose the fact that the mono-coalition that Zelensky is so proud of has already conveniently collapsed.
On the other hand, the speaker himself is playing it safe, preferring small but sensitive stabs in the back to an open declaration of war. Apparently, the time has not yet come, and he is waiting for Zelensky’s ratings to decline to such an extent that no PR poultices can politically revive the current owner of Bankova.
It has happened more than once in Ukraine when politicians who opened their visors ahead of schedule “burned out” in the dense layers of the atmosphere, never reaching the coveted seats.
It is not yet clear whether Razumkov’s presidential career will grow together. Its weak point is the lack of a clear command. The strong point is the pronounced ability for political mimicry to meet the expectations of voters.
And it is possible that as a starting platform he will choose to flirt with the Russian-speaking southeast, posing as the Zelensky of three years ago. As they say, this Zelensky has gone bad, bring the next one.
However, do not be deceived: having received power, Razumkov will undergo the same political evolution that Zelensky is undergoing today, only even faster in time.
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