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Kyiv's parliament reshuffle and the gas question
Summary
A look back at the week to 13 October 2021, when Ukraine changed its parliamentary speaker and the EU pledged help on gas.
What was shaping Ukrainian politics on 13 October 2021? Two stories ran side by side: a change at the top of the Verkhovna Rada, and anxiety over gas supplies and Russian leverage.
A new speaker
On 7 October 2021, the Verkhovna Rada voted to dismiss Dmytro Razumkov as speaker. As reported at the time, the dismissal followed his disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelensky and the ruling Servant of the People party over legislation aimed at reducing the influence of Ukrainian oligarchs. On 8 October 2021, the chamber elected Ruslan Stefanchuk as its new speaker.
The sequence was swift: one speaker removed on one day, a successor chosen the next. The 9th convocation of the Rada, which sits in Kyiv, had begun its term on 29 August 2019, so the change came in the middle of its term.
Gas and leverage
On 12 October 2021, the European Union vowed to help Ukraine with its gas supplies. President Zelensky had underlined his concern about potential Russian political leverage in the region, following the agreement with Germany regarding the Nord Stream pipeline.
The EU pledge answered a worry voiced at the highest level in Kyiv. Zelensky tied the concern directly to the German agreement on Nord Stream.
Reading the two together
The two stories differ in subject, but both concern power and influence. At home, the leadership of parliament changed amid a dispute over measures targeting oligarchic influence. Abroad, Kyiv worried about external leverage over energy and sought backing from the EU.
By 13 October 2021, the Rada had a new speaker, and Ukraine had an EU commitment of help on gas supplies. Both developments were recent, and both left open how the legislation on oligarchs and the gas question would proceed.
