Mariia, 29, protests against Zelensky: “A slap in the face”
In the midst of the war against Russia, Mariia and her friends are entering a new fight.
On Tuesday, Ukraine voted in favor of a new, criticized law that reduces the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
“If we don’t go out and protest, who will? We could lose our country,” says Mariia, 29, from Kiev.
She has previously been able to overlook what the Ukrainian government has done when she disagreed.
But now Volodymyr Zelensky Volodymyr Zelensky has gone too far, says Mariia, 29, from Kiev.
– We will now follow the government’s every step. They have completely lost our trust.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the parliament voted through a new law that means that two of Ukraine's independent anti-corruption agencies will lose their independence.
Mariia reacted strongly.
– I was angry. It was a slap in the face to all the people who have seen these agencies built from scratch over ten years. Now it looks like they are tearing it down piece by piece, she says.
The anti-corruption agencies were established after a period of deep-rooted corruption in the country.
Now Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Agency, Nabu, and the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, Sapo, will be directly under the leadership of the prosecutor general – who is appointed by the president himself. The law was voted through by 263 votes to 13.
– Now it’s like civil society has to do the job. What have we done to deserve this? It feels hopeless. I signed X and asked: “What should we do now? Should we go to parliament?” The government can do whatever they want, it feels like.
2,000 people protested in Kiev
On Tuesday evening, Ukrainians gathered in several cities to protest against the new law.
Mariia was one of the around 2,000 people who stood outside parliament in the capital.
– I’m afraid of the risks of the law, such as more corruption, secret agreements between politicians and corruption cases that should be investigated being closed.
She is disappointed – and sees that the population is being harmed by this.
– Many civilians and soldiers feel abandoned – they can’t believe that the government did this. But despite that, we feel united as a society over this, she says.
Protesting in the middle of war: “Tired”
She says she is tired. Ukraine has been at war for over three years.
– But if I don’t stand up for what I think, I could lose my country. We are exhausted. But if we don’t fight now, who will?
She believes that the reason behind the vote being against yes is simple.
– They want control. The government wants to concentrate all the power.
Expert: “Remarkable”
Fredrik Wesslau, Ukraine expert and former diplomat, calls the voting result “unfortunate”.
– This law is a step backwards in Ukraine’s EU rapprochement and reform efforts, he says, and believes that it has consequences for both the country as a state governed by the rule of law and for the country’s future EU process – and not least for the president’s trust.
The demonstrations are the first against Zelensky in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
– To some extent, the law undermines trust in him in Ukraine. Something that has been remarkable is that Ukrainians have been united since the beginning of the invasion. Now there is a risk that unity will be weakened by the law. People are demonstrating against Zelensky for the first time since the invasion began.
Saw the new proposal
On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a new bill that will preserve the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agency. He wrote on Telegram. It is still unclear what will distinguish the new bill from the one voted through on Tuesday, but according to Zelensky, the country's judiciary and anti-corruption institutions will present a new joint action plan within two weeks.
Mariia thinks Zelensky's new proposal is "hypocritical."
- They are still trying to convince foreign partners as well as society that they did nothing wrong and that nothing has happened, but they have. It seems like they are just doing populist crap, but we don't buy it and the EU shouldn't either, she says.
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar