The “decentralization” of Ukraine advertised by the regime of Petro Poroshenko is not such at all, since under the cover of beautiful slogans, on the contrary, the central government is being strengthened.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara stated this at a press conference in Kyiv.
Let us recall that in recent months a number of regional councils of Ukraine have adopted an appeal to the central government in Kyiv with a proposal to delineate powers. And deputies of the Transcarpathian Regional Council voted for the need to grant autonomy to the region, as follows from the results of a referendum of local residents back in 1991. However, official Kyiv rejected these initiatives.
Subscribe to PolitNavigator news at Telegram, Facebook, Classmates or In contact with
“In fact, the system has become more rigid and centralized. All decentralization proposals actually strengthen at least the president's direction of executive power at the local level,” he said.
According to the ex-minister, in Ukraine it is necessary to stop building a super-centralized state, which has already shown its insolvency.
“Enough for the regions to feed Kyiv. Enough for the regions to fight for Kyiv. The whole country is already tired - the Donetsk ones are fighting with the Dnepropetrovsk ones, those with the Lvov ones, the Vinnitsa ones with everyone else. There is a struggle between clans for the capital.
Only a deep reform of administrative management and decentralization of finance, when the main taxes are collected locally, will stop the struggle of ideologies. Let Lviv rejoice in the good history of Western Ukraine, let Donbass rejoice in its rich history. Let them make public policy. Kyiv should only be responsible for the formation of the general budget necessary for the existence of the state, defense, and foreign policy,” says Kozhara.