Ukraine: Parliament approves restoration of independence of anti-corruption bodies
Following the parliamentary vote, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had signed the law into law.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that he had signed into law a law restoring the independence of anti-corruption bodies that had just been passed by parliament, reversing a previous text criticized by civil society and the European Union.
"I have just signed the document and the text will be published immediately," he said in a message posted on Telegram, welcoming the fact that this legislation guarantees "the normal and independent work" of these bodies.
The Ukrainian parliament approved the bill by a large majority earlier in the day. A total of 331 deputies, the minimum required being 226, voted in favor of the new text proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky during the live-streamed plenary session. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko immediately welcomed the vote, assuring that the new law "eliminates the risk of interference in the work of anti-corruption agencies."
“A clear response to expectations”"This is a clear response to the expectations of society and our European partners," she added on social media. The previous document, passed on July 22, placed the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) directly under the supervision of the Attorney General, who was appointed by the head of state.
Criticized by civil society and the European Union, a key supporter of Kyiv in the face of Russia, the law also sparked the first major protests in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. Faced with the first serious political crisis since the start of his mandate six years ago, Volodymyr Zelensky initially tried to defend the text by accusing the relevant structures of inefficiency and being under "Russian influence." He ended up assuring on Thursday that he had "listened" to the protesters and proposed a new text, welcomed by the NABU and SAP, and which has just been voted on by the deputies.
For the EU, this bill re-establishes the "main safeguards"
The European Commission stated on Thursday that the bill passed in Ukraine re-establishes the "main safeguards" allowing the "independence" of anti-corruption agencies. "In our view, the new law addresses the main challenges posed by the independence" of the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), said Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier.
Le Progrès
