Ukraine: what is driving the push for elections?
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov's call for elections in Ukraine is making waves. In a video message to the Ukrainian people he said a legal, safe and realistic mechanism must be found to allow elections to be held despite the ongoing war. Commentators debate the motives behind the popular politician's move.
Lack of oversight encourages corruption
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung weighs up the arguments, but points out:
“The war is indeed damaging Ukrainian democracy. … And the longer the war lasts, the more serious the damage becomes. Both the president and the members of parliament have already remained in office well beyond their normal terms of office. This lack of turnover weakens oversight of the government and encourages corruption, nepotism and the establishment of authoritarian structures – the very evils that the revolutions of 2004 and 2014 aimed to combat and which Volodymyr Zelenskyy also promised to tackle before his election seven years ago. It is no coincidence that the number of scandals involving his inner circle has steadily increased as the war has dragged on.”
This initiative carries risks
Fedorov does not question the legitimacy of existing structures under the current constitution, Sme stresses:
“Rather, he argues that this model has had its day, or is running out of steam and must be revitalised by restoring trust and oversight processes, including (but not limited to) elections. At the same time, he acknowledges the extraordinary difficulty of this task. ... The state needs a mechanism to restore trust. However, this in no way allays fears that a genuine political struggle could lead to a collapse of authority, which would in all likelihood mean the collapse of the front.”
Putin would relish the opportunity
This is really not the time for elections, warns The Daily Telegraph:
“Putin – for one – would relish the opportunity to exploit Ukraine's internal political wrangling to his own advantage. An election campaign that focused predominantly on corruption allegations and political infighting would also play into the hands of Western leaders, such as Trump, who have always been equivocal about supporting Ukraine's war effort. If there are important issues to be addressed about Kyiv's future governance, a far better solution would be to tackle them once the war is won and Russia no longer poses a threat to Ukraine's very existence.”
Political legitimacy at stake
Fedorov could become a problem for Zelensky, according to La Repubblica:
“On Tuesday evening, when it became clear that Zelensky had definitively closed the door on the former defence minister's reappointment, Fedorov threw down the gauntlet and called for elections to be held despite the ongoing war. This was a powerful political move because Zelensky's term as president expired more than two years ago: he remains in office under martial law, as provided for by the constitution. By nevertheless calling for a 'legal, safe and realistic' path back to the ballot box, Fedorov shifted the battle from the Ministry of Defence to a far more sensitive area for Zelensky: the question of his political legitimacy in the presidential office.”
Re-election no easy prospect
The Salzburger Nachrichten comments:
“Elections could end badly for Zelensky and his team even after the fighting has ceased. According to a survey by the polling organisation Socis, the incumbent would lose to both former Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny and Fedorov in the second round of a presidential election. This is partly because of Ukrainian voters' traditional distrust of incumbent heads of state – Ukrainians haven't re-elected a president since 1999. Another factor is the corruption scandals surrounding Zelensky's former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and other members of his inner circle in 2024 and 2025, as well as their attempts to neutralise the anti-corruption bodies investigating them.”
The start of his own campaign
Political scientist Volodymyr Fessenko analyses Fedorov's motives in a Facebook post:
“Fedorov's video message calling for elections effectively marks the former defence minister's move into the opposition. In the current context, this is a reaction to the fact that any prospect of him returning to the post of defence minister is now definitively off the table. But there is more at stake now. Fedorov is essentially proposing that Ukrainians decide, in the foreseeable future – and that future is unlikely to be too far off – who is in the right in his conflict with Zelensky. This is not merely a personal conflict. Fedorov is directly hinting at a confrontation with the 'collective Zelensky'. ... In a sense, this marks the start of his own election campaign.”
Criticism without clarity
Writing on Facebook, blogger Serhii Marchenko accuses Fedorov of not daring to mention Zelensky by name:
“Mykhailo was not being sincere, because he kept talking about a system that resists reform, yet for some reason he never once mentioned the person who created and maintains that system. Fedorov's cautious and evasive words convey the impression that this system emerged out of nowhere. ... Fedorov did not have the courage to name the sole source of power in the country, who wields the unrestricted powers of a monarch and thus also bears responsibility for everything that happens in the country at their behest.”
Defence capabilities must not be undermined
The political turmoil must not unleash chaos, warns anti-corruption expert Olena Trehub on Facebook:
“Right now, Fedorov's deputies remain in charge of their respective areas of responsibility and are working alongside the new ministry leadership. If they stay, a degree of institutional continuity would be maintained. However it is possible that the team might now suddenly leave en masse. … Our task is to closely monitor staffing decisions and changes to the system to ensure that political turmoil does not turn into administrative chaos, increase the risks of corruption or – most importantly – undermine Ukraine's defence capabilities.”