The former boxer denounces a campaign of intimidation against his city teams to discredit him. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not stopped confronting him since the 2019 presidential election in a power struggle surrounding the capital.
The enmity between the President and the Mayor of Kiev was not a big secret. Now it comes to light. Vitali Klitschko condemned an “unleashed campaign” against him in a solemn speech on Wednesday, June 21. “Someone seems to be in a hurry to regain control of the capital,” he said, considering that the “population of Kyiv [était devenue l’]Hostage of a political struggle.” The former boxer does not mention the name of Volodymyr Zelenskyy or that of his party “Servant of the People”. But in Ukraine everyone understood that the quarrels between the two men are old.
The high point of this confrontation is the recent affair about the air raid shelters. On the night of June 1, three people, including a minor, died in a Russian attack after finding the door at the entrance to an underground bunker locked. A controversy ensued, reflecting the country’s emotions. “This tragic episode offended society’s sensibilities and immediately took on the semblance of a scandal,” Tetyana Ogarkova, journalist and head of the international branch of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, told franceinfo. “Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vitali Klitschko accused each other for political reasons.”
The two chosen ones deliver blow after blow
National emotions did not prevent the head of state from sharply criticizing the mayor of Kiev. “Not only do we have enemies in Russia, we also have them inside. And there could be a knockout,” the President commented. A clear nod to the former boxer blamed for the tragedy. For its part, the city council recalled that the district heads, who are specifically responsible for opening and maintaining the shelters, were appointed by the president.
Investigators work in front of the Polyclinic in Kiev, Ukraine, June 1, 2023 after a Russian attack took place overnight. (SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP)
Back in November, a controversy had poisoned the abysmal relations between the two men. “I expect quality work from Kyiv City Hall,” chafed one president, angered by the malfunctioning of “invincibility points,” sanctuaries that give residents access to water and electricity. “In the current situation, I don’t want to get involved in political arguments,” the former boxer had withdrawn. This is “not the time for political arguments,” he confirmed in December to the German weekly Der Spiegel.
Vitali Klitschko finally showed his reluctance on Wednesday with his clear statement. The judiciary had just put the head of the city security service under house arrest in connection with the case of the air raid shelters. The blow was too heavy for the mayor, who got carried away with “endless searches crippling the work of city services.” “In times of war they sow chaos in the administration of the capital,” he said angrily.
An old dispute about local government
But this feud between the mayor and the president goes back long before the war. In 2010, the former boxer took over the leadership of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms (Udar), a centre-right pro-European formation, before being elected president in 2014 on a list by the Petro Poroshenko bloc. He then gradually tries to get his Udar party, which was put on hold during the coalition games, going again.
After the election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019, the presidential team had already tried in vain to appoint a representative from his ranks to head the Kyiv City State Administration (KMDA) alongside the mayor. But the capital has the peculiarity that these two functions are entrusted to the same person – an exception in Ukraine. Vitali Klitschko then managed to keep the two hats after fighting and winning the support of part of the population.
The mayor of Kiev (Ukraine), Vitali Klitschko, during a press conference on July 26, 2019, condemned the president’s will to oust him from the top of the civil administration. (PHOTO ONLY / AFP)
New episode in 2021 when the presidential team stripped the mayor of the ability to appoint the heads of the ten district administrations (RDA). This time Vitali Klitschko bowed. At the suggestion of the Council of Ministers, the President is now responsible for the appointment.
Finally, at the beginning of the war, the regional military administrations were merged with the civil administrations, taking over their prerogatives in passing. In Kiev, this so-called “KMVA” was entrusted to officer Serhiy Popko, and disputes died down. Back then, the capital was fighting for its survival, plagued by the Russian advance. After the defeated invading troops had left, the community demanded an end to the military administration. From then on, “the president’s office stopped talks with Vitali Klitschko,” admits Franceinfo Dmytro Bilotserkovets, leader of the Udar group in the city council. “You’ll even have a hard time finding a photo that shows them both.”
“They haven’t exchanged a single word since April 2022.”
Dmytro Bilotserkovets, Chairman of the Udar Group in the Kyiv City Council
at franceinfo
“There can be no question of personal sympathy or antipathy between President Zelenskyy and the mayor,” emphasizes Lilia Paschinna, elected from the group “Servant of the People”, a minority in the municipal council. But “we are witnessing a complete mess in the management of the city,” she tells franceinfo, referring to the issue of emergency shelters, flooding after bad weather or “overbilling” for road works. “If someone isn’t doing their job, they have to give way to more professional candidates.”
In any case, since the air-raid scandal, those close to Zelenskyy have been considering withdrawing the KMDA from Vitali Klitschko. Of course, the civil administration no longer has any power. But the presidential teams “want to be in control at the end of the war when the parliamentary and presidential elections are organized,” accuses Dmytro Bilotservokets. The latter also denounced the repeat of searches in municipal services – “more than five this week” – which he attributes to political decisions. “It’s very complicated to manage the city now.”
Centralization of power during war
According to the Razoumkov Center, Vitali Klitschko’s trust rating fell from 58% in March to 48% in May. Far from that of Volodymyr Zelenskyy (85% and 83.5%). Several names are floating around today who could take the helm of the KDMA, including that of the popular Vitaly Kim, Mykolayiv regional governor. “Whoever controls Kiev controls Ukraine, it is sometimes said. All of this could mark the start of the 2024 election campaign. But this political rivalry could entail certain risks for the capital,” analyzes Tetyana Ogarkova.
To topple Vitali Klitschko would be a misstep, say several Ukrainian experts. “Politically and legally, this would have serious consequences for the authorities,” comments political scientist Oleh Saakian in the daily Ekspres. History shows that Kiev does not tolerate forced appointments. Not to mention Vitali Klitschko’s weight at the international level.” In any case, these disputes are causing some concern in the country. “This conflict is not doing the state any favors,” Oleksiï Goncharenko, MP for the European Solidarity party, told franceinfo.
“We should focus all our efforts on defeating Russia and not on political power struggles.”
Oleksiï Goncharenko, Deputy of “European Solidarity”
at franceinfo
Vitali Klitschko, President of the Union of Mayors of Ukraine, has repeatedly defended local elected officials who got caught up in the legal dispute. “An alarming development, he feared at the beginning of May after the legal disputes of the mayor of Odessa. He is the third mayor to be sacked by the courts and it looks like an attempt to harass the local authorities.” used a company car for private purposes.
After the great decentralization movement in 2015, the trend has now reversed, emphasizes the Carnegie Foundation as part of an anti-corruption policy led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But “by getting rid of perhaps imperfect but elected officials, the government is setting a dangerous precedent and reinforcing authoritarian tendencies within an already faltering political system,” said researcher Konstantin Skorkin. This conflict between the central power and the local authorities could flare up again after the war.