You're reading: Verkhovna Rada appoints culture minister, deputy premier for European integration

Ukraine’s parliament Verkhovna Rada confirmed on June 4 the appointment of Oleksandr Tkachenko as the new minister for culture and information policy and Olga Stefanishina as deputy prime minister for European integration.

A majority of 263 lawmakers supported the appointment of Tkachenko, who served as the Rada’s humanitarian and information policy committee. Due to the new post in the government, Tkachenko, 54, resigned as a member of parliament. Shortly following the confirmation, the official announced on his Facebook page he intended to resume the funding of the Ministry of Culture, to complete the institution’s reorganization and renew its administrative capability, and also to carry out an audit.

“A realistic amount of funding that should be allocated to support culture and tourism is Hr 3-4 billion,” Tkachenko said. “(That would be enough) to survive and resume talking about development. After this, we will be able to go on moving forward systematically, in cooperation with the industry.”

Tkachenko is best-known as the long-time former top manager of 1+1 Media, one of the country’s biggest and most influential media holdings owned by billionaire oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky.

He left the company in August 2019 following his election as a lawmaker with 248-seat faction Servant of the People loyal to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“He’s an experienced person,” Zelensky said of Tkachenko.

“I have worked with him for many years. He has sent the whole of his life in this industry.”

Tkachenko is also associated with a controversy over the Odesa Film Studio, regarding which critics accuse the official and his business partners of purchasing illegally and stripping its assets.

Shortly following the appointment as a culture minister, Tkachenko vowed to sell off his shares of the Odesa Film Studio to avoid conflict of interest.

The appointment of Stefanishina as the deputy prime minister for European integration was supported by 255 lawmakers.

Stefanishina, an international law specialist, replaces Vadym Prystaiko, the former foreign affairs minister who is expected to take charge of Ukraine’s diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.

In her address to the parliament, the new deputy prime minister announced her priorities in developing Ukraine’s political and economic cooperation with the European Union, in integration into European markets, and also in forwarding the Ukraine-NATO annual program.

“The top priority is behind the protection of national manufacturers and goods,” the official said.

“This is something that we have to get done new as part of reviewing the Association Agreement (with the EU) in early 2021. We also need to be insisting on funding that would be appropriate to the reforms pushing Ukraine towards European integration.”