The first plenary week of the new year in the Verkhovna Rada took place against the backdrop of loud personnel rotations, criminal news, and discussions about the stability of the parliamentary majority. The highlight of the day was the announcement by NABU and SAP regarding the suspicion of the leader of the parliamentary faction 'Fatherland' Yuliya Tymoshenko, which immediately affected the political balance in the session hall. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to the deputy, on Tuesday the parliament did not manage to handle the personnel votes on the first attempt, and the failure of certain resolutions was a signal of problems in mobilizing votes. Late in the evening, NABU and SAP released information about the issuance of suspicions in the case of possible bribery of people's deputies. It soon became clear that it was about Yuliya Tymoshenko. Anti-corruption authorities stated that they have recordings of conversations and materials from searches, which, according to them, have substantial evidentiary basis.
Tymoshenko's suspicion and its consequences for the coalition
The situation around the 'Fatherland' faction became particularly sensitive since its deputies had supported a key vote of the authorities the day before. After information about the suspicion emerged, political circles began to talk about the faction's exit from the situational coalition and possible failures in subsequent personnel decisions. On Wednesday, Yuliya Tymoshenko spoke from the rostrum of the parliament, sharply criticizing the actions of NABU and SAP, but at the same time, anti-corruption authorities published a video with fragments of conversations that became the basis of the case.
Personnel decisions and the real balance of votes
Despite the scandal, the Verkhovna Rada completed the consideration of key personnel issues. Mykhailo Fedorov received the most support, with 277 deputies from various factions and groups voting for him. The parliament also extended martial law and general mobilization until May 4 by constitutional majority.
After this, the intrigue remained regarding the vote for Denys Shmyhal, which ultimately took place successfully. According to Zheleznyak, the result showed that the ruling majority is capable of gathering the necessary 236 votes even without the systemic support of 'Fatherland', involving deputy groups and non-affiliated ones.
Separately, the parliament appointed Dmytro Natalukha as the head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine. This decision was supported by 244 people's deputies, which, according to the video author, became a rare example of personnel appointment initiated by the parliament itself rather than the presidential office.
As a result of the week, Yaroslav Zheleznyak emphasizes that it is premature to talk about a full-scale parliamentary crisis at this time. At the same time, the scandal involving Yuliya Tymoshenko and the reduction in the number of deputies in the session hall to a historical minimum complicate further decision-making. According to him, the upcoming plenary weeks will show whether the government can consistently gather votes without the support of certain factions.