The appointment of a new head of the President's Office, which seemed almost agreed upon last week, has been postponed indefinitely. According to sources close to the president, the personnel decision is not planned to be made until the New Year, and if postponed, the process could drag on for a long time.
According to sources, one of the key contenders for the position was First Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Fedorov. Sources say he presented a vision of a deep modernization of the internal structure of the OP, which included radical changes in its work. It was this program that allegedly prompted the president to put the process on hold.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been considering a conceptual reform of the governance system, in particular, merging the Office of the President with the National Security and Defense Council. This model is being seen as a potential way to optimize coordination and decision-making. However, the head of state is currently fully focused on negotiations related to the so-called peace plan, so a large-scale restructuring is being postponed.
Some political circles speculate that the current head of the OP, Andriy Yermak, is not interested in quickly appointing a successor. According to one source, Yermak may understand that appointing a new head will draw attention to the internal architecture of the OP, which could become the subject of detailed analysis.
The deputies also state that no personnel decisions regarding the leadership of the OP are expected this plenary week — the last before the winter break. Under such conditions, the issue may return to the political agenda after the New Year, but the timing remains uncertain.
