Corruption: what to make of Ukraine's U-turn?
Following fierce protests at the national and international level, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a law repealing the planned subordination of anti-corruption bodies to the Prosecutor General's Office and restoring the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Commentators conclude that a lot of damage has been done.
Lawmakers have lost their credibility
The Spectator takes a look at the consequences of the MPs' flip-flopping:
“What Ukraine saw today was a parade of hypocrisy. One by one, lawmakers took to the podium to denounce the very bill they pressed the green button for last week. ... Many of Zelensky's MPs, who have rubber-stamped the president's bills, plan not to do so anymore. Their blind obedience to the president's orders has cost them their credibility, and they won't forget it when their votes are needed in the future.”
Zelensky's icon status shaken
The Ukrainian president's reputation has taken a hit, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia notes:
“For years Zelensky has been largely immune to criticism. Articles dealing with his mistakes or those of people close to him were the exception rather than the rule in the international quality media. Now, however, the Ukrainian president has been stripped of this immunity. And he can be called to account - for anything that his enemies can come up with and his friends can no longer ignore.”