Zelenskyy may hold presidential election next year to strengthen power - The Economist

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is considering the possibility of holding presidential election next year, in 2025, in order to strengthen his power.

This was reported by The Economist.

According to the American National Democratic Institute, the trust of Ukrainians in the current President fell from 80% in May 2023 to 45% in 2024. In addition, in general, trust in the authorities in Ukraine has become significantly lower.

"Despite the fact that last year all major political parties agreed to postpone the elections until the end of the war, it is said that Zelenskyy is considering the possibility of holding presidential election next year in order to strengthen his power," the article says.

According to the leader of Batkivshchyna Yuliya Tymoshenko, "a political process has clearly begun" in Ukraine. The publication writes that there are even ongoing discussions about Zelenskyy's potential rivals, among whom they name the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now Ukraine's Ambassador to Great Britain Valerii Zaluzhnyi: "The survey showed that Ukrainians like the idea of a former military man to be the leader," The Economist notes.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the draft state budget for 2025 does not provide for expenses for holding elections.

On April 8, the head of the Servant of the People party, MP of Ukraine Olena Shuliak said in a comment to Ukrainian News Agency that, in her opinion, elections in Ukraine can be held "without a majority and only after victory."

In September 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named five obstacles to holding elections in Ukraine.