Ukraine continues to be marked by rumors about possible government changes and the appointment of a new Prime Minister. While appointments to key positions generate great interest, the author questions their true significance in the context of the country’s single-person form of government.
These reshuffles increasingly resemble the rearrangement of beds in a brothel. Names change in a cycle: someone becomes the new person signing “work completion reports,” others move from one ministry to another, but the essence remains unchanged. In this highly centralized power structure, the role of Prime Minister is mostly technical, as real decisions are made at a single center — Bankova Street.
One telling feature is the versatility of officials: many head different ministries, regardless of expertise, highlighting the closed-off and clique-like nature of the system. Key positions are filled by loyal figures who move across a wide range of sectors, from diplomacy to energy, from culture to agriculture.
Instead of open competition and accountability, the system simply shuffles its own around within an established circle. Appointments, including ambassadorships, are often rewards for loyalty rather than outcomes of performance, even after failures in other roles.
This analysis shows that government reshuffles do not change the nature of governance itself. Power is exercised and renewed within a closed circle, and ultimately, real responsibility lies not with officeholders, but with a single political center in the country.
