On December 1, a large-scale study was completed in Ukraine - Second National rating of influence "Elite of Ukraine", conducted by the rating agency ElitExpert and the International Expert Club.
Last year, the uniqueness of the project was noted by the National Register of Records of Ukraine as the most extensive rating in the entire history of the independence of our state, because research was conducted simultaneously in all regions of the country.
And this year, for several months, an expert group of professionals in the fields of political science, sociology, economics, jurisprudence and media thoroughly studied the regional and national elite of Ukraine. The criteria for applicants were as clear and strict as possible - finances, connections, activity and breadth of spheres of influence. In some cases, it was money that was the main attribute of a person's influence, and in others it was the position held by a person. However, some people manage to influence the Ukrainian society without positions and connections, and they are also represented in the rating: these are figures of culture, sports, the media market, scientists, spiritual leaders.
As a result, the team of the International Expert Club managed to compile 24 ratings of the most influential people from each region of the country, and a national hundred of key figures of the state.
Government representatives and people's deputies are recognized as the most influential in Ukraine (40 people in the rating), business owners, oligarchs and multimillionaires (29 people) are in second place. In third place are the heads of law enforcement agencies and the country's judicial system (10 people).
The outgoing hour was not at all easy for the country, the top of the government, business and ordinary citizens. Incessant hostilities in the east of Ukraine, two waves of the coronavirus pandemic, scandals, revelations, rising prices have affected almost everyone. Someone suffered and lost their positions, and some did not miss the opportunity to strengthen their influence.
The team of experts identified the President of Ukraine as the most influential Ukrainian and the favorite of the rating Vladimir Zelensky. Compared to last year, the center for making all decisions has moved and finally settled in the most important office of the country on Bankova Street. Volodymyr Zelensky managed to significantly strengthen the presidential vertical of power. The change of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada to the faithful Ruslan Stefanchuk, under the control of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and reshuffles in the courts allowed the President to head the entire branch of state power. Although Ukraine is legally considered a parliamentary-presidential republic, in fact today we live in a presidential-parliamentary state. The de-oligarchization course only strengthened the President's position, but at the same time created a number of conflict situations for Bankova. First with Viktor Pinchuk, and then with Rynat Akhmetov.
Exactly Rinat Akhmetov the majority of experts gave the 2nd place rating. Akhmetov controls the SCM holding and has been considered the richest Ukrainian for several years. The businessman's enterprises control 80% of thermal coal production, 70% of thermal electricity production, 50% of distribution and supply, as well as 90% of its exports. In addition, Akhmetov owns about a third of the power generation capacity of solar and wind power plants. Such a weighty status of the "energy king" obliged all previous authorities to consider themselves monopolist. But after the President initiated the adoption of the bill on de-oligarchization, their relationship with Akhmetov became strained. The disgraced Dmitry Razumkov began to appear on the businessman's TV channels with messages against the current government. Later, the report about the crisis in the country's energy sector added fuel to the fire, and Akhmetov was accused of involvement in the preparation of a coup d'état. However, Akhmetov's very confident position allows him to wage war with the most influential person in the country, which cannot be ignored when compiling the rating.
Significant merit in strengthening the presidential vertical belongs to the head of the Office of the President Andrey Yermak, which ranks third in the ranking. He is often called the "gray cardinal of Ukraine" or "Zelensky's shadow", since the head of the President's Office really influences all processes in the country, from personnel to international issues. Despite the infighting between his deputies, Andrey Yermak deservedly remains the first person near the President. Although in fact, it cannot be called a usurpation of power, since Yermak perfectly copes with the statutory duties of the head of the President's Office, which involve influencing many issues.
The fourth position among the most influential Ukrainians is occupied by a businessman and co-owner of the Privat financial and industrial group Igor Kolomoisky. Many experts associate Zelenskyi's presidency with Kolomoiskyi, but this is not shown in public. Nevertheless, the billionaire retains influence on many processes in the country even today, because his people are represented both in local authorities and among central level officials.
First assistant to the President of Ukraine and his friend Sergey Shefir ranks fifth in the ranking. Today, Shefir is another influential politician who can intervene in the decision of important state issues. However, the degree of influence of the head of the President's Office is much higher.
The sixth place goes to the deputy head of the Office of the President, Kirill Tymoshenko. Ermak's deputy initially oversaw issues of communication with the media and society. Now the politician is responsible for the "Big Construction" project. Participation in this project expanded Tymoshenko's influence among the regional elites, and also increased the degree of trust of the President - the main initiator of "Big Construction".
Recently, the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine has become a serious instrument in the hands of the President. This body proved to be the most effective in the fight against oligarchs, criminal authorities, aggressors, and also during the coronavirus pandemic. And the secretary of the NSDO Alexey Danilov deservedly ranks seventh in terms of influence in the country.
The head of the SBU is in eighth and ninth place, respectively Ivan Bakanov and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova. The role of these bodies is now as great as ever, and it is not for nothing that Venediktov and Bakanov enjoy the maximum trust of the President of Ukraine.
According to a team of experts, the second billionaire of the country closes the top ten most influential Ukrainians Viktor Pinchuk. The founder of EastOneGroup and Interpipe, son-in-law of Leonid Kuchma, has warm relations with the Democratic Party of the USA, which won the election. Pinchuk now faces a dilemma: support Akhmetov in the fight against the law on de-oligarization or show loyalty to Bankova.
It is possible to familiarize yourself with the TOP-100 most influential Ukrainians in more detail on the website of the National rating platform "Elite of Ukraine".
