VIDEO
EXCLUSIVE
Volodymyr Ariev is a Ukrainian journalist, MP, and former vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
In an interview with Kyiv Post’s Aleksandra Klitina, Ariev talks about how the war has affected the running of parliament, the importance of judicial reform, economic decentralization and goals for attaining European and Ukrainian security.
[Klitina] First of all, can you tell me how the war has affected the work of parliament?
[Ariev] It’s certainly affected how well parliament works, but it’s getting better. In the first few weeks of the war and for security reasons, we only met for voting. Last month, we got back to discussing things in parliament. So, we’re gradually returning, step by step, to regular parliamentary work.
We hold meetings at least once a week, sometimes once every two weeks, and discussions about the agenda between faction parliamentary group leaders are held before MPs meet.
We have some on-going trouble with parliamentary coordination and cooperation, which is currently under the control of the ruling majority. For example, the parliamentary speaker is trying to cut opposition MPs out of the picture, which I don’t think is normal. We need unity and to speak with one voice on the international field to show that all political wings, the [ruling] coalition and opposition, are united in striving towards victory over the Russian invaders.
[Klitina] What types of reforms are at the top of the agenda for Ukraine to reach EU standards and facilitate the EU integration processes?
[Ariev] I really hope that Ukraine can receive EU candidate status in June.
I can tell you honestly that Ukraine has not yet met all the Copenhagen criteria [rules that define a county’s eligibility to join the EU]. And that’s before we come on to aspects such as the euro convergence criteria [economic indicators for a country to enter the euro zone, otherwise known as the Maastricht criteria].
The Copenhagen criteria make clear that only a country with a democracy and the rule of law can be a member of the EU. The foundation for these elements is an open, independent, and clean judicial system. So that’s our overriding priority – to work on reforming the judicial system on which other things can grow.
Ukraine also should decentralize its government and there shouldn’t be one pillar for all systems of governance. Currently, we have the president and the mono majority. EU states which succeeded most in their journey to EU membership had balance in their system of governance. You can’t be stable on one leg so it’s essential to have enough pillars for the state system to stabilize itself.
So, in essence, we have to review and build on the current system to meet EU standards, and after that we can work on economic matters.
[Klitina] Can you say more about what Ukraine’s decentralization activities should look like?
[Ariev] I think we should work harder on economic and financial decentralization. The Ukrainian financial system is currently overregulated by the National Bank. The existence of free banking relations in the financial system is vital, so deregulation of the Ukrainian financial system is needed.
I was a little scared by the statement from Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko in an interview with the Economist magazine. He said: “If the war lasts for a long period, the economy of Ukraine will not sustain it. Ukraine should raise taxes sharply and even nationalize some businesses.” I don’t think that’s a good idea and would destroy our economy.
During the war, we need to maintain our efforts to support the Ukrainian military, whilst also thinking about how we will exist after the war has ended. I’ve made many points about this. We need to determine what kind of system we should build, and the Baltic States and Poland offer up good examples. We should study their experience very seriously, work step by step and take account of best practice.
[Klitina] What will ultimately bring this war to an end, whilst ensuring European and Ukrainian security?
[Ariev] In the long term, only NATO or a strong bloc like NATO can guarantee security to Ukraine. Russia will remain our aggressive neighbor after the war and our joint efforts with the entire civilized world should be demilitarization of Russia – to pull the poison teeth from the mouth of the snake. It’s a crucial thing we have to do. A lasting threat from Russian means that Ukraine is not very attractive for foreign investors, even if our economy and judicial system become much more enhanced than they are now.
The essential thing for Ukraine is not to spend swathes of money on beautiful new buildings, but to prioritize great defense. A key lesson we must take away from the war is that anti-missile air defense systems are vital and we have to invest in a strong defense strategy.
Ukraine needs to think about short-term solutions, such as guarantees from other states. I support negotiations involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President Zelensky, but I hope that joining NATO will not be excluded from the Ukrainian agenda. Otherwise, short-term negotiations have no sense.
[Klitina] Thank you very much for your time.
