There are no oligarchs in Ukraine. At least that is what the interested parties intend to believe. Since President Volodymyr Zelensky passed a law on September 23 to reduce their sprawling influence, everyone has denied belonging to this caste of wealthy businessmen accused of shamelessly exploiting the country’s economy. , to corrupt the political system and to use the media for their own profit.
This law makes them bristle so much that even Rinat Akhmetov, the richest man in the former Soviet republic with an estimated estate of 7.3 billion euros, has agreed to break with his legendary discretion to put things right. . “I am an investor, not an oligarch “, supports the World this iron and steel magnate who owns several television channels and is reputed to control a large fraction of Members of Parliament. “If necessary, I am ready to defend my name in Ukrainian and international courts”, he takes care to specify in writing.
Less powerful and wealthy, the multimillionaire Vasyl Khmelnytsky is also regularly described as an oligarch. This former deputy, installed in the heart of the huge technological innovation park that he is building in Kiev, denies it just as much. “Anyway, in this country, every time you do something that someone doesn’t like, you get called that. I’m not paying attention “, he swears. At the end of the interview, all the same, he is worried: “Will your article be neutral or rather negative?” “
Concerned about their reputation
For these men, nothing is more important than their reputation, otherwise they will become undesirable in the eyes of financial markets and banks abroad. However, this law, unique in the post-Soviet space, precisely aims to label them publicly as oligarchs – an infamous name. The latter have until March 2022 to get rid of their ties with the political world and sell their media. Otherwise, their name will appear on a list compiled by the National Security and Defense Council, a body headed by the president. In particular, they will be prohibited from financing political parties and participating in the privatization of large companies. The text also obliges officials to declare any contact with them.
“Last names don’t matter: Medvedchuk, Kolomoïsky, Poroshenko, Akhmetov, Pintchouk, Firtach or anyone else”, had proclaimed, in April, the president, by listing the names of the greatest oligarchs of the country. “ What matters is whether you are ready to work legally and transparently, or if you want to continue to create monopolies, control the media, influence MPs and officials. The first solution, we support it. The second is over ”, then launched, martial, the former actor, elected with 73% of the vote, on April 21, 2019, on his promise to fight against corruption.
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