Shmyhal Government

The Shmyhal government () is the current government of Ukraine, formed on 4 March 2020 and led by Denys Shmyhal, who was previously serving as Deputy Prime Minister in the Honcharuk government, and the Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Shmyhal is the longest serving Prime Minister in Ukrainian history

History

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's first government was the Honcharuk Government, formed after the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election. However, Zelenskyy was dissatisfied with the government due to high ministerial salaries and poor performance. On 3 March 2020, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk tendered his resignation, and by law this triggered the automatic resignation of the Honcharuk Government. In his 4 March 2020 address to the parliament, Zelenskyy expressed his hope for a stronger government, and that day Honcharuk was dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) and Denys Shmyhal was appointed prime minister.A New Government for Ukraine: One Female Minister and "Indispensable" Arsen Avakov
Hromadske.TV (4 March 2020)Denys Shmyhal is the new Prime Minister of Ukraine
Centre for Eastern Studies (5 March 2020)

The transition from the Honcharuk government was treated in some local press as worrisome, with the '' Kyiv Post'' calling it "hasty" and "awkward".

Appointment of Shmyhal

The appointment of Shmyhal as the Prime Minister of Ukraine was approved by the Verkhovna Rada in a special session on 4 March 2020. Shmyhal was an acting vice prime minister at the time of his appointment; he had previously served as Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. 291 people's deputies voted for his candidacy, while the members of most of the other factions ( Opposition Platform — For Life, European Solidarity, Batkivshchyna, and Holos) did not support it.

Composition

At the time of appointment of the government five minister seats remained vacant at the following ministries: the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education. Four ministers kept the same post as they had in the previous Honcharuk government: the Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy, and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. Two ministers switched posts: Vadym Prystaiko left the Foreign Ministry and became the Deputy Prime Minister for Eurointegration while Dmytro Kuleba did the complete opposite, taking on the post of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 18 May 2021 parliament dismissed Krykliy as Minister.Ukrainian parliament accepts Infrastructure Ministry's resignation
UNIAN (18 May 2021)

All the ministerial posts — apart from those of the Ministers of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs that were put forward for voting by President Zelensky as these post are presidential nominationsMember of Parliament shares list of possible members of government
UNIAN (3 March 2020) — were voted in by a package vote, with the support of 277 people's deputies.

Health Minister Illia Yemets and Finance Minister Ihor Umanskyi were dismissed by the parliament on 30 March 2020.Ukraine's Rada sacks health, finance ministers amid virus crisis
''UNIAN'' (30 March 2020)

Initially the government did not have a separate Environmental Minister (the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection was at first responsible for environmental policies), but on 19 June 2020 Roman Abramovsky was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.Ukraine's parliament backs appointment of new environment minister
UNIAN (19 June 2020)

On 4 July 2020 President Zelensky announced that a (new post of) Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Policy could appear in the government in a week."Servants of the People" have decided on the Deputy Prime Minister of Industrial Policy, waiting for support in the Rada
Ukrayinska Pravda (10 July 2020) On 16 July 2020 Oleh Urusky was appointed Vice Prime Minister responsible for the new Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine.Urusky appointed Ukraine's deputy PM, minister for strategic industrial sectors
UNIAN (16 July 2020)A new ministry has appeared in Ukraine
Ukrayinska Pravda (22 July 2020)

In the (previous government installed in August 2019) Honcharuk government the ministry responsible for agricultural policies was the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture.New Cabinet formed in Ukraine The Rada appointed the new Cabinet: Avakov and Markarova remained
Ukrayinska Pravda (29 August 2019) But in January 2020 President Zelensky stated the need to split the agriculture part of this Ministry.President: At most in September we will have a separate Minister of Agrarian Policy
Ukrayinska Pravda (9 July 2020) When the Shmyhal government was formed the Minister (in the Honcharuk government) of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture, Tymofiy Mylovanov refused to head a newly reestablish Ministry of Agriculture.Milovanov explained why he refused to work in the new government
Ukrayinska Pravda (5 March 2020) On 9 July 2020 Zelensky predicted that "at maximum in September" Ukraine would have a separate Minister of Agriculture again. On 17 December 2020 Roman Leshchenko was appointed as Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food.Parliament appoints Leshchenko as agricultural policy minister
Ukrinform