Bankova Street is preparing Shmyhal’s resignation: it became known who will become the new prime minister

16 June 13:10

The Presidential Office is planning personnel changes in the Cabinet of Ministers in the near future – this time not only replacing ministers, but also resigning Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. This was announced by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, noting that the decision has actually already been made, and Bankova Street is starting the traditional “summer season of premieres”, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports

Tradition: “to fire Shmyhal every summer”

The MP ironically joked that the government has a tradition of “firing Shmyhal every summer.” Such attempts were made in the summers of 2020, 21, 22, 23, and especially in 2024.

However, all previous attempts ended with partial personnel changes in the government, while Shmyhal himself remained in office. This summer, according to Zhelezniak, Bankova’s intentions are more serious – three sources have already confirmed the decision to resign this weekend.

Why do they want to replace Shmyhal?

Zheleznyak gives several reasons:

Loss of political support, even among pro-government MPs. In particular, according to the MP, opposition leader Dmytro Razumkov could have gathered 150 votes for the resignation procedure, and Bankova does not want to give him the initiative.
Theaccumulation of failures in economic and budgetary policy that can no longer be ignored.
The need for renewal, as there will be no full-fledged elections yet, and society needs to see the “changes”. The most accessible tool for this is the restart of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Who can lead the government instead of Shmyhal?

The only candidate currently being considered by the government is First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko.

According to Zheleznyak, she is “no stranger” to the head of the OP and is the only real contender.

This information is confirmed by sources [Kommersant]sources, who were the first to report on the upcoming personnel changes. Svyrydenko’s candidacy is being actively discussed in government circles, and she is the one who, according to the publication’s interlocutors, enjoys the support of the Presidential Office.

Other potential contenders, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, are no longer seen as real participants in the “race for the premiership,” the sources said.

What prevents the prime minister from being replaced now?

The key obstacle is Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law,” which explicitly prohibits the termination of the powers of state authorities during martial law. Since the dismissal of the prime minister automatically entails the resignation of the entire government, this is legally impossible at the moment.

However, according to Zhelezniak, a point amendment to this article is planned for June, which will allow Shmyhal’s “voluntary” resignation and the formation of a new Cabinet headed by Svyrydenko.

“This will be followed immediately by Shmyhal’s voluntary resignation and the appointment of a new Shmyhal. And all his ministers will be in the new government,” the MP said.

Zheleznyak is skeptical about “renewal” and a trillion-dollar GDP

At the end of his post, the MP skeptically noted that Svyrydenko is unlikely to become a real symbol of renewal, and that promises of an economic breakthrough in the form of a trillion GDP look like nothing more than a political slogan.