More than half (55%) of Ukrainians now view Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an oligarch, despite his self-proclaimed stance as an anti-establishment figure attempting to end the political dominance of rich businessmen.
That’s according to a pol, published last week, by the Razumkov Center, a Kiev-based think tank founded in 1994.
According to the results, Ukrainians believe nine people could be classed as oligarchs. As well as the President, the list also includes tycoon Igor Kolomoisky, industrial billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, and former President Petro Poroshenko, who was most famous for owning chocolate company Roshen before his foray into politics.
The poll revealed that Ukrainians are skeptical about the President’s deoligarchization laws, adopted earlier this year. According to the results, just 21% of respondents consider it to be a real step towards curbing corruption, while 33% consider it a populist measure. Another 23% believe it is an attempt by Zelensky to redistribute property to his own entourage.
Earlier this year, Zelensky passed a bill that is supposedly meant to restrict the role that money plays in Kiev’s politics and to end wealthy oligarchs’ “excessive influence.” However, some critics have suggested that the law is a means to target those critical of Zelensky’s government.
Dispute over the bill led to the firing of Dmitry Razumkov, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, previously a crucial part of Zelensky’s election team in 2019. He openly opposed its passage and called for it to be reviewed by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.