The political scene is once again talking about a change of prime minister. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has come under serious pressure due to a series of high-profile scandals that are increasingly compromising his tenure in power. According to MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko may replace Shmyhal.
We wrote about this back in February. Today, our editorial team has gathered the facts that became the "last straw" in the prime minister's career, and analyzed his actions that undermine trust in the government in times of war.
1. Failure in energy infrastructure protection: 22 facilities remained unprotected
One of the most glaring failures of the Shmyhal government was the situation with the project of the third level of protection of key energy facilities. This concerns 22 critically important facilities that were to be heavily fortified to counter Russian strikes.
Instead of implementation, financing has been halted. Contractors have not been paid, and the Ministry of Finance's debt has exceeded 20 billion hryvnias. As a result, dozens of facilities have been left vulnerable to attacks, and the country is at risk of a large-scale collapse of the energy system.
The responsibility lies directly with the prime minister: the decision to suspend funding, according to political sources, was made personally by Shmyhal.
2. Return of EDAPS: printing according to old schemes
Another high-profile scandal is the return to the state printing market of a structure known as EDAPS, which in the 2000s controlled the production of passports, ID cards, and strict reporting documents. After numerous corruption allegations, the group was removed from access to government contracts.
However, in the 2020s, under a new brand — Industrial Innovation Group — and through the Polly-Service structure, the company once again found itself at the center of state production. It was Shmyhal's government that effectively returned EDAPS' monopoly on the Ukraina printing plant, which produces biometric documents.
The result was state contracts worth 2.3 billion hryvnias without any competitions or public audits. All key decisions were signed during Shmyhal's premiership. The obvious lobbying in the interests of a specific business group caused a resonance even among the "servants of the people", but there was no reaction from the prime minister.
3. Systemic decline in trust: oligarchs, ignoring and impunity
Shmyhal's scandals are not isolated incidents, but a symptom of a systemic crisis of governance. His government often made decisions behind the scenes, without consulting the public or experts. Supporting large business groups and oligarchs, ignoring social and infrastructure problems - all this contributed to the growth of distrust.
When a country is fighting for survival, billion-dollar scams and administrative indifference are perceived especially sharply.
Yulia Svyrydenko is the main candidate for replacement, as we wrote earlier. As a figure from the OP team, she already plays an active role in budget planning and economic policy. Her likely appointment is a signal that the President's Office is preparing for a government reshuffle.
Whether Shmyhal will survive in office is a matter of time. But the scandals surrounding his name have already become toxic baggage for the current Cabinet.
