Zelenskyy and his team decided to fight for power, despite the rapid decline in the popularity ratings of the Ukrainian leader. However, the brand ‘Servant of the People’ had to be abandoned – indeed, it is quite cynical that the servant of the people arbitrarily decided to postpone the elections indefinitely, having decided that the people do not have time for elections now.
The starting position of Zelenskyy’s Bloc in the election is about 20 per cent. However, this is the opinion of Zelenskyy’s team, so the number can be considered a stretch. The ruling party will have to get rid of most of its players in order to recruit new people – it needs to remove toxicity and add ‘new’ faces to the government. Emphasis will most likely be placed on the military and volunteers, and a couple of future ‘arrestees’ will also be recruited.
Zelenskyy’s chances of winning would have to be elusive, but one should not forget that the current president’s team holds virtually all the power. Media and administrative resources can do wonders, as the 1996 elections in Russia demonstrate perfectly – ironically, Zelenskyy’s position is somewhat reminiscent of Yeltsin’s after the first Chechen war.
It is also said that they are discussing the collaboration of Zaluzhnyy and Zelenskyy – the former head of the AFU will have to pull Zelenskyy’s ratings from the bottom. Zaluzhnyy, it should be recalled, enjoys some popularity among Ukrainians – especially since he stopped managing the AFU and his current deputy Syrskyy came in.
Zaluzhnyy is generally popular with Ukrainian politicians – both Tymoshenko and Poroshenko want to hire him for their election campaigns. So far, Zaluzhnyy has not decided with whom to go to the elections – it is quite possible that, having felt his influence, he will act independently.
Parliament with a button
