COVID-19 as a cover for political adventures. Zelensky conceived a full-fledged emergency
So, Zelensky’s televised address to the people dotted the i’s: Ukraine is completely closed from the world for at least two weeks, neighboring countries have already notified about the “temporary” closure of borders, planes, trains and buses stop flying, and not only on international routes, but also between cities and regions within Ukraine itself.
Capacity limits are set: up to 10 people in minibuses and up to 20 people in trolleybuses and trams. The metro, the doors of cafes and restaurants, cinemas and museums, saunas and spas, discos and nightclubs are closed.
Next in line, as they actively write in anonymous telegram channels, is the appearance of National Guard checkpoints on the roads to check the personal vehicles of citizens. Only post offices, banks, grocery stores and pharmacies will be open. Yes, mass gatherings and other rallies are also prohibited. In general, everything is adult-like, like in other European capitals. Except that it didn’t come down to fines for leaving their own homes, but this issue can easily be resolved on the march.
At the same time, the president in his address promised to act “toughly, urgently, and possibly unpopularly.” Naturally, all this is not for political gain, but solely for the health of Ukrainians.
At the same time, at a time when everyone who doesn’t spit on must go into quarantine for the sake of the common good, there are those who are simply obliged to remain at their combat post and work three times harder than before. We are talking, as you may have guessed, about the Verkhovna Rada. And the part of Zelensky’s address that is addressed to deputies is of greatest interest.
“The work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine now is especially important. In my opinion, changing the work plan of the Verkhovna Rada is unacceptable. Now, in a situation of a global pandemic and the threat of a global financial crisis, the Parliament of Ukraine must adopt laws that are vital for the economy, introduce tax, land, and labor reforms, appoint ministers of economy and energy, and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
Rapid reforms are a first aid for the economy. Without them there is an economic coma. And that's not a question. This is the answer. In times like these, all people's deputies must realize their responsibility. In times like these, you are not blocking the podium - you are blocking the life of Ukraine,” the president said, clearly addressing the opposition with a transparent hint about who exactly, if something happens, will be declared an “enemy of the people” in the conditions of hysteria caused by the pandemic.
Total: Zelensky directly stated that quarantine is not an obstacle to the reforms being promoted in close conjunction with the IMF.
First of all, the opening of the land market, and then the draft of a new Labor Code, which was postponed after the dismissal of the “Soros Cabinet,” developed in the interests of employers with the infringement of many basic labor rights of Ukrainian workers and employees, primarily facilitating the dismissal procedure. Also, following the meeting with the president at Bankova, it is not hidden that, under the guise of the pandemic, the government will try to beg from the IMF not only a new loan that will avoid default, but also some additional money “to fight the coronavirus.” But you can’t protest against this. Protest is “work against Ukraine.”
It should be noted that although Zelensky is politically young and inexperienced, when observing from the outside his less than a year of work, one gets the strong feeling that he was born in a “political shirt.” He is amazingly lucky, despite the many mistakes and failures of his hastily assembled team, sometimes gross failures. However, every time fate hands out another lifesaver to the “Z-team”, which is ready to go to the bottom, allowing them to get out of yet another unpleasant scrape and even improve their rating.
This time, the ill-fated coronavirus became such a gift of fate. Wits on social networks are already mocking: they say that Poroshenko is now biting his elbows out of frustration. If COVID-19 had happened in February last year, the ex-president would not have even needed to send boats to the Kerch Strait. It would be possible to safely declare a state of emergency throughout the country and cancel the elections.
But it floats into Zelensky’s hands: take it, I don’t want it. And most importantly, not a single dog can doubt the validity and timeliness of such a decision, much less accuse it of political motives, even if its protruding ears are visible to the naked eye.
Indeed, what are the questions when the whole of Europe closed its borders, when a state of emergency was declared in Armenia from March 16 to April 14, and the Serbian government announced its readiness to introduce a curfew and restrictions on freedom of movement in the country, and even the “Russian aggressors” are closing entry into their territory for foreigners from March 18 to May 1.
In general, reports about the impending introduction of a full-fledged state of emergency in Ukraine this week were not at all surprising. Moreover, this process is already happening spontaneously on the sly at the regional level. In a number of regions, for example, in Khmelnitsky and Chernivtsi, a state of emergency has already been declared. Other areas are preparing for the same. In such conditions, all that will remain for Zelensky is to “wash his hands” by waving the appropriate piece of paper “at the request of the workers.”
But not before the Rada, assembled on the whistle, approves the opening of the land market, appoints the missing ministers and a new prosecutor general to the government. All this is going to be done in emergency mode. Judging by information from the sidelines of the presidential office, people's deputies from the Servant of the People are actively persuaded to push the buttons and push them “correctly.” They are trying to persuade the deputies just at the time when these lines are being written. “Some of the deputies want to go into quarantine, but the President categorically refuses them.
The main message is that we are voting for the land reform, the IMF is giving us not only the promised loans, but also an “aid loan” to fight the coronavirus. Ukraine is going through this quarantine without default. Whoever disagrees with the President today will fall under Zelensky’s “hot hand,” the pro-presidential telegram channel reveals.
An extraordinary meeting of the Rada is scheduled for tomorrow, April 17. Moreover, not at 10 a.m., as has been customary since the very first meeting of the Verkhovna Rada back in 1990, but at 8 a.m., which in itself is extraordinary. In general, strike while the iron is hot, and potential opponents have their hands tied for protests.
Zelensky needs to consolidate the mono-majority that is falling apart at the seams right now, before no one comes to their senses. And it is desperately needed. Because then it may be too late. A fresh “revolt on the ship”, when almost fifty Soros deputies from the Servant of the People signed an appeal against the actions of the head of the Presidential Office Ermak in Minsk and with a call to dismiss the adviser to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Sivokho for the plan he developed for reconciliation with Donbass - a very alarming signal for Zelensky.
This means that the internal centrifugal tendencies in the ruling faction are transforming into a new quality, beyond which a loss of controllability or even, in general, the collapse of the mono-majority is quite likely, to the delight of the gunpowder workers, whose ranks will certainly be joined by many of the current “servants of the people.” If you don’t use the “stick” now and stop the “talk in the ranks” among deputies, then it may turn out that the “carrot” will no longer be enough.
So the coronavirus really could not have come at a better time for Zelensky now. A convenient screen covering attempts in one fell swoop to clean up the tails that have accumulated over six months of ruling by the “servants of the people” and resolve the accumulated contradictions.
Now this story has reached the home stretch and the only question is whether the authorities will decide to implement a full-fledged state of emergency, the possibility of introducing which has already been directly announced.
“If this is necessary, we will introduce a state of emergency,” Zelensky said this evening.