Experts: Little to Change at Interior Ministry as Avakov Leaves, He Will Eventually Launch Political Project

Experts believe the interior minister got ahead of his rivals.

On Tuesday, July 13, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov submitted his letter of resignation. On Thursday, July 15, the Verkhovna Rada will decide on this issue. The Servant of the People faction has already nominated a successor: MP and head of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement Denys Monastyrskyi.

Avakov's resignation came as a surprise to many. Why did he make this decision, and what will happen to the Interior Ministry after he leaves? What are the chances of the main candidate? TK Media gathered experts' answers to these questions.

Vitaliy Kulik, director of the Center for Civil Society Research, said that Avakov got ahead of events by writing his resignation letter himself. According to him, the dismissal of the interior minister had been planned as early as autumn, and Bankova found the necessary number of votes.

Vitaliy Kulik
expert

Another key factor was that the new US chargé d'affaires, George Kent, whom Avakov met one of the first, refused to support him.

According to the expert, Avakov is unlikely to run for mayor of Kharkiv, but he will eventually create his own political project. Kulik added that the former interior minister “will not be in the leading roles there” due to “too high negative ratings” over the past seven years.

Vladimir Fesenko, head of the Penta Center for Applied Political Studies, told TK Media in a comment that the vote on the interior minister's resignation will pass calmly, and he will not resist.

Vladimir Fesenko
expert

The Servants, European Solidarity and Holos will cast their votes. The Opposition Platform — For Life and Batkivshchyna will abstain, purely symbolically. […] It can also be considered that Avakov is not entirely leaving. The new candidate, Denys Monastyrskyi, who previously was an assistant to Anton Herashchenko when the latter was an MP rather than a deputy interior minister, is a compromise candidate between Bankova and Avakov. And there should be no problems with the parliamentary vote for him.

Former MP of the eighth convocation Ihor Lutsenko told TK Media in a comment that little will change in the structure of the Interior Ministry with Avakov's departure.

Ihor Lutsenko
former MP

Under Avakov, there were minor reforms, and both the middle and senior ranks of law enforcement will quickly adapt to Monastyrskyi.

Lutsenko noted that most radical and liberal activists, contrary to popular belief, are practically autonomous.

Ihor Lutsenko
former MP

If the street deems it necessary to hold a protest near the Office of the President or the Verkhovna Rada, no one will be able to stop them.