Brussels Ukraine Review
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• www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промуй Україну • 1 KYIV AND MOSCOW: FROM PARTNERSHIP TO COMPETITION ASSESSING EU’S TRANSFORMATIVE POWER IN UKRAINE E-VOTING IN UKRAINE: ADVANCEMENTS, CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES THE FERTILE SOIL OF UKRAINE: NURTURING INNOVATION APRIL 2020 Brussels Ukraїna Review Brussels Ukraїna Review Огляд Україна Брюссель Edition – 1 April 2020 EDITOR’S Journal is published in Ukrainian and English FOREWORD Online: www.promoteukraine.org Publisher: ear readers and In this issue, you will learn NGO «Promote Ukraine» experts! We have about change of the government www.promoteukraine.org prepared the sec- in Ukraine, Ukraine’s digital po- ond issue of the tential, the non-military struggle Address: Brussels Ukraїna between Ukraine and Russia, the Velyka Zhytomyrska 33 Review for print controversy over the handling of Office 611 before the coronavirus pandem- the investigation into the murder Kyiv 01601 D ic intervened in the lives of each of journalist Pavlo Sheremet, and Address of the of us. These tragic circumstances much more. Starting with this Belgian NGO «Promote Ukraine»: have forced us to decide whether to issue, we are also introducing Veldstraat 24 print the journal after the end of the “Cultural Pages”, where we will 1731 Relegem quarantine or to launch the maga- write about European elements of Belgium zine online now. Ukrainian culture and vice versa, Although the pandemic has as well as about Ukrainian tradi- Email: somewhat changed the way we tions and interesting places to visit [email protected] spend our days, the issues raised in Ukraine. Editor-in-chief: before it started have not disap- Marta Barandiy peared. And the longer we wait, the Enjoy reading! more urgent they become. That is Marta Barandiy Editors: why we are offering a selection of Evhenia Kolomiyets-Ludwig our experts’ articles right now. Alina Nychyk Natalia Richardson We still have some articles and interviews, which we intended to Editorial assistant: include in this issue, remaining. Nathan Stormont We plan to print them in the third Ideas for illustrations: issue of the journal. We hope it Maxim Stepanov will be soon. Design and visualisation: Anna Chernysh-Poltoratska Journal «Brussels Ukraїna Review» is distributed free of charge among researchers, experts, opinion leaders, government officials and politicians of Ukraine and the European Union. Reproduction of the materials of the Journal is permitted only with the reference to the Journal. Opinions and other content published by the authors in the Journal, do not necessarily reflect the position of the Board of editors. Author is solely responsible for the content of the material he/she provides. Author is only responsible for the material, provided in the original language. Translation of the materials is made by a third party on the request of the Publisher. The Publisher is not responsible for the goods and services, advertised within the publication. Photos are from open sources. 2 • Brussels Ukraïna Review • www.promoteukraine.org • • www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промуй Україну • 3 EDITOR’S UKRAINE VERSUS RUSSIA 02 Editor`s Foreword 28 Kyiv and Moscow: from FOREWORD partnership to competition UKRAINE IN APRIL 2020 Ilya Tarasyuk 04 Ukraine anticipates new 31 Naftogaz against Gazprom challanges Ilya Tarasyuk Ilya Tarasyuk CONTROVERSY ANTI-CORRUPTION 34 Sheremet’s case: a demand 07 Assessing eu’s transformative for truth against a political power in Ukraine: six years of order anti-corruption conditionality Leonid Shvets Christina Parandii EU PROCESSES DIGITALIZATION 37 The future of 11 E-voting in Ukraine: SPITZENKANDIDATEN advancements, challenges and system perspectives Roman Nekoliak Dmytro Khutkyy CULTURAL PAGES GREEN ENERGY - INVESTMENT 40 Lake Synevyr: the eye OPPORTUNITIES of the sea in the Carpathian mountains 14 Ukraine is the future leader Ilya Tarasyuk of decarbonisation in Europe Philipp Leckebusch 43 Ukrainian is à la mode! Natalia Tolub INNOVATIONS AND REFORMS 17 The fertile soil of Ukraine: nurturing innovation Anna Gubanova 20 The rules on the labour market. What are the chances for updates? Inna Krupnik but the main ones concerned the government’s failure to execute the budget, the dramatic decrease in in- dustrial production, and the lack of UKRAINEUKRAINE effective decisions to reduce utility tariffs, among others. In his speech during the special ANTICIPATESANTICIPATES plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on 4 March, President Volody- myr Zelensky noted that “[t]his is a NEWNEW government of new faces, but just faces are not enough. We need new brains and new hearts. This govern- CHALLENGESCHALLENGES ment knows what to do, but it is not enough – it really demands a lot of ILYA TARASYUK IS A WELL-KNOWN UKRAINIAN work, which has to be done.” The Parliament supported the JOURNALIST WHOSE ARTICLES HAVE BEEN President’s initiative and dismissed PUBLISHED BY LEADING UKRAINIAN BUSINESS Honcharuk’s government, voting in favour of the new Cabinet head- PUBLICATIONS FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. ed by Denys Shmyhal. At the same SPECIALIZES IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL time, a number of high-ranking of- ficials retained their seats. In par- TOPICS. HE GRADUATED FROM THE KYIV-MOHYLA ticular, Deputy Prime Minister for ACADEMY WITH A DEGREE IN PHILOLOGY. European and Euro-Atlantic Inte- gration Dmytro Kuleba and Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko switched posts in the new Cabinet, testifying to Volodymyr Zelensky’s confidence in these people and his satisfaction with their performance. he beginning of The change of the Ukrainian spring marked Cabinet of Ministers did not go the commence- unnoticed by the rest of the world, ment of serious but it did not cause any reso- political and nance. Thus, the US Embassy has economic turbu- traditionally congratulated the lenceT for Ukraine. On the one hand, new Prime Minister of Ukraine on Ukraine faces the impact of world- his appointment and expressed wide processes related to the fight of the hope for “close cooperation”. all countries against the coronavirus But the European Union reacted (COVID-19) pandemic. On the other differently. Peter Stano, spokes- hand, in our country a global prob- person for EU foreign policy, and lem has exposed a number of import- Josep Borrell, the EU’s security ant internal issues that the current chief, said the EU expected the government is trying to tackle. new Ukrainian government to strengthen its fight against cor- Change of Government ruption and its determination to implement reforms. Dissatisfied with the lack of fast re- sults of the government, which was ap- pointed on August 29, 2019, and hoping Ukraine is in for better preparation of the new team quarantine for the new challenges facing Ukraine, the President of Ukraine decided to change the government. In current circumstances, one There was relatively little critique of of the most problematic issues in Oleksii Honcharuk’s Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine actually appeared to be УКРАЇНА КВІТНІ В 2020 the medical sector. The implemen- 4 • Brussels Ukraïna Review • www.promoteukraine.org • • www.promoteukraine.org • Promote Ukraine • Промуй Україну • 5 tation of medical reforms was Currently, the authorities are able started by the government of for- to work more or less effectively. De- mer prime minister Volodymyr spite some criticisms, the authori- Hroisman. The performance of ties have, however, achieved some According to critics, the Health Minister Zoriana Skalets- positive results: although borders ka in Honcharuk’s Cabinet raised have closed globally, the govern- signing of the agreement many questions and complaints ment successfully evacuated tens of on the creation of an due to Skaletska’s perceived lack thousands of Ukrainians from many Advisory Council in of experience, decisive steps tak- countries. The authorities did this en in the ministry, and follow- by arranging special flights, addi- effect recognises the ing a number of scandals. Doc- tional trains, and the Foreign Min- sovereignty of the illegal tors were confused, and many of istry promptly contacted the gov- them demanded to stop the sec- ernments of countries where our armed separatist groups, ond phase of the medical reform. compatriots were stuck at the bor- the Donetsk People’s Under these conditions, the ders. Almost all issues have been outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic resolved positively. Republic (DNR) and finally showed cause that the post On the other hand, the authori- the Luhansk People’s of Minister of Health of Ukraine ties took into account the key fail- must be held by a serious and ex- ure of the previous government – Republic (LNR), which perienced person. The Verkhovna the lack of information provided to are supported and Rada voted to approve the appoint- the population. The President has ment of a well-known surgeon, played an active role in the process controlled by Russia. Illia Yemets, who had previously and now frequently appears on the headed the Ministry of Health in screens, addressing the nation. The becomes an observer, along 2010-2011. But after Yemets made Prime Minister, law enforcement with Germany, France and the some controversial comments officials, and local leaders also pro- Organization for Security and about the impact of coronavirus vide explanations to the media. All Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). on those aged 65+ during his TV of them persuade Ukrainians to The signing of such a docu- interview, he was dismissed. On adhere to the recommendations ment caused a wave of criticism the 30th of March Maksym Ste- of doctors, to act together, and to among politicians and pro- panov was appointed a new Min- avoid panic. This will minimise the tests in many Ukrainian cities. ister of Health of Ukraine. effects of the dangerous pandemic. The largest protest took place In the meantime, Ukraine be- in Kyiv, despite the quarantine gan to prepare for the spread of The Minsk “Virus” measures. People demanded the COVID-19. On 17 March, at an resignation of Yermak and ex- extraordinary session of Verkhov- In the meantime, for many planations from the authorities.