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Member of the European Parliament Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Germany) has told Ukraine that it risks losing visa-free travel in the EU Schengen Area and 1.5 billion euros in EU funding unless it changes the way it is appointing the new head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The Verkavna Rada (Ukraine Parliament) voted to appoint 7 out of 11 members to the commission that will choose the new leader of SAPO. According to Ms. von Cramon-Taubadel, this methodology does not meet EU legal requirements because it politicizes the selection process which should be open and transparent. Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center, a non-governmental organization also said that some of the members of the commission that will choose SAPO’s new chief do not have sufficient experience in anti-corruption issues, and do not meet legal requirements; therefore their appointment is illegal. The US has also objected to the process being used. Ukraine president Volodmyr Zelenskyy and his Servant Of The People (SOTP) party chief David Arakhamia painted the threat by Ms. von Cramon-Taubadel as merely a "rumor" and will not act unless/until formal papers are filed. Viola von Cramon-Taubadel tweeted telling Zelenskyy to listen to the EU message because the consequences won’t be good.
From my perspective Zelenskyy had the opportunity to be the first truly reform president in Ukraine since independence. He had the electoral mandate, plus the people provided his SOTP party the legislative mandate to push through reforms that had previously been stymied by corrupt MP's. A taste of power seems to have relegated Zelenskyy's reform mission to the back-burner. Oh, they have accomplished some important reforms, but have lacked the courage and perseverance to remove undue oligarch influence from important political decisions and legislative reforms. It's reminiscent of the same problem currently infecting politics in the United States - wealthy campaign donors and influential lobbyists hold sway in the White House and on Capitol Hill.
From my perspective Zelenskyy had the opportunity to be the first truly reform president in Ukraine since independence. He had the electoral mandate, plus the people provided his SOTP party the legislative mandate to push through reforms that had previously been stymied by corrupt MP's. A taste of power seems to have relegated Zelenskyy's reform mission to the back-burner. Oh, they have accomplished some important reforms, but have lacked the courage and perseverance to remove undue oligarch influence from important political decisions and legislative reforms. It's reminiscent of the same problem currently infecting politics in the United States - wealthy campaign donors and influential lobbyists hold sway in the White House and on Capitol Hill.