The parliament of a country engaged in full-scale war cannot afford political holidays – this was stated by deputies from the ‘European Solidarity’ faction during a briefing.
“Seven years ago, in July 2019, the 9th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was elected. For 7 years, the only faction that consistently reports is ‘European Solidarity’. At that time, ‘new faces’ entered politics. But in 7 years, one could have learned that promises must be fulfilled, and every year you must report to your voters on what you really did in parliament. This month, the parliament went on holiday without appointing two key ministers in a country waging a bloody war. How is this possible?” – protested faction co-chair Arthur Gerasimov.
The main goal of ‘European Solidarity’ in parliament is for Ukraine to stand strong, notes member of parliament Rostyslav Pavlenko. “Over 2,500 party members are currently on the front line. We are well aware of the real needs of those who protect us. Therefore, our demands are aimed at increasing payments for military personnel, increasing spending on weapons procurement. Protection also means supporting communities. It involves properly equipping shelters. We advocate for a special budget program for this, so funds are not taken away from local governments,” emphasizes Pavlenko.
People’s Deputy Viktoria Siumar reminded that 7 years ago, the majority entered parliament under the sign of elite renewal as new faces; however, this convocation has become the most closed to society. And closedness breeds corruption, Siumar emphasizes. “Today, Ukrainians say that alongside the war, corruption is the number one problem in the state. If they steal in defense during wartime, it weakens us. The war continues, and the cost is extremely high – it is human lives. It’s good that we all managed together to defend the independence of NABU and SAP. And over the past year, we have seen examples of successful investigations. But this is definitely not the end, and there are extraordinarily many in defense. That’s why our faction actively joined the development of an anti-corruption strategy. There must be transparency and maximum openness, as the fate of Ukrainians and the fate of Ukraine directly depend on it. Therefore, this is one of our priorities,” Siumar says.
Co-chair of “ES” Iryna Gerashchenko reminded that the last year has been very difficult for the faction, which lost Andriy Parubiy and Stepan Kubiv.
She also noted that thanks to the faction’s firm position, direct broadcasts of plenary sessions and question time with the government have resumed. “Two weeks ago, we sent a letter to Stefanchuk demanding an immediate session. A parliament of a warring country cannot go on political vacations. This is very badly perceived by society, it discredits the parliament. I don’t know what the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada is doing, but there is no response to our letter. Zelensky has not yet submitted official names of candidates for key ministerial positions to parliament, including the minister of defense and the minister of foreign affairs,” Gerashchenko says.
She stated that the monomajority exists only on paper and no longer provides 226 votes for bills. “They vote together with the former OPZZh. It’s time to announce the termination of the majority that does not exist and create a coalition of national unity based on three positions. The first is support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The second is a real, not superficial, fight against corruption. And the third is European integration,” the People’s Deputy emphasizes.
“Among the necessary bills is the law on reloading the SBI. It should not be a bureau of repression. It should be a structure that ensures a real fight against crime and abuse,” Gerashchenko said.
She also once again urged the return of personal income tax to the brigades, the introduction of clear service terms, an increase in the basic monetary allowance for the military, and the modernization of the Armed Forces: “More drones, robots, anti-shahed systems, and electronic warfare systems should be engaged in combat; all of this needs investment, but through transparent procurement. Therefore, parliamentary control is our key demand,” stated the deputy.
She also once again called on the authorities to stop blocking the inter-parliamentary activities of the “European Solidarity” deputies. “The country today needs responsibility and unity. But the key is democracy. Our team, despite the pressure on families, despite sanctions against Petro Oleksiyovych, stands for parliamentarism and democracy in parliament. Being in opposition is not easy, but we have achievements and victories to report. We win when our ideas win. The army, language, and faith are the foundation upon which Ukrainian statehood stands today,” emphasized Iryna Herashchenko.
