Government Crisis: Zelenskyy іntimidates Rada with mobilization due to unwillingness to vote for tax increases

Recently, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, allegedly tried to stimulate people's deputies toward a more active performance of their duties—calling on them to serve the state, meaning to pass necessary laws. However, the deputies complain that the conversation is again not about the subjectivity and responsibility of the parliament, but about obedience—voting must be done for initiatives promoted by the President. Currently, these are the bills on tax increases required by the IMF. Otherwise, the President threatened to introduce changes to the law on mobilization so that deputies would go to serve at the front.

looked into the reasons for such "sabotage" and whether these intimidations will help.

Why deputies do not want to vote for government initiatives

The Verkhovna Rada has had problems with subjectivity for a long time, although for a long while the mono-majority obediently supported the laws indicated from Bankova. But after the scandalous laws against anti-corruption bodies, the blame for which the President shifted entirely onto the deputies, "Mindichgate," the dismissal of Andriy Yermak from the position of Head of the Office of the President, and criminal proceedings for commissioned voting, the "obedience" of the mono-majority broke.

Many Rada deputies have no motivation to be responsible for the actions of Yuliia Svyrydenko's government: neither for the distribution of another round of financial support to the population, nor for the tax increases with unclear economic effects. The updated government, in which the President simply swapped the ministers' places, does not consider it necessary to consult with the deputies, and they reciprocate.

People's deputies have not supported bills initiated by the government—which is effectively beyond the Rada's control—for a long time. This refers, in particular, to bills on tax increases, VAT for individual entrepreneurs (FOPs), and other initiatives aimed at filling the budget. On March 10, the bill on the "tax on OLX" gained only 168 votes, and only 120 of them were given by the "mono-majority."

International donors of Ukraine are currently demanding tax increases. But the primary cause of such requirements was the spending of state budget funds on numerous presidential initiatives for the distribution of money: "cashbacks" and "e-Support." That is, the donors who are currently filling the budget of Ukraine have a simple requirement: if you want to distribute funds—increase taxes and spend your own. Otherwise, the continuation of international aid is under threat as early as April. Therefore, the government is once again pushing these bills despite the resistance and amendments of the deputies.

Several reasons for the parliamentary crisis: explanations from people's deputies

The fact that the cause of the crisis lies in distrust and the lack of dialogue between the parliament and the government was confirmed to by People's Deputy from the "Servant of the People" party Mykyta Poturaiev. He explained that the law on the "tax on OLX" failed not because the deputies were against it—there was actually a compromise on it. But everyone knew that amendments regarding the tax on parcels and VAT for FOPs would be introduced into the document before the second reading. And regarding the implementation of VAT, which will affect millions of citizens, the deputies have questions.

According to Mykyta Poturaiev, his colleagues want to hear from the government:

Economic justification for the cashbacks: what impact these expenditures had on the economy and whether it is advisable to continue these programs at all;
How much revenue is planned from the tax increases;
Whether the government has done its job in filling the budget: whether all holes are closed at customs and in the tax office, and whether the production of counterfeit cigarettes has been overcome.

"Why should we take responsibility for very unpopular, ambiguous decisions at a time when the government continues programs of various cashbacks?" Mykyta Poturaiev is indignant. At the same time, he emphasizes that a dialogue is needed, not an ultimatum, because the financing of Ukraine by international partners is under threat. Therefore, he voted for the bill "on the tax on digital platforms."

Another deputy from the "Servant of the People," Andriy Motovylovets, stated that the core, i.e., the obedient part of the pro-presidential faction, currently consists of only 111 deputies; he does not know how to motivate others to vote. However, Motovylovets cited "fatigue, confusion, and fear of NABU" as the reason, which since the beginning of the year has served notices of suspicion for receiving illegal benefits to five people's deputies. According to him, there are also about 40 deputies who are simply tired of voting for anything and would like to resign their mandates, but they are given to understand that their applications for resignation will not be supported by the faction because the Rada must work.

On the other hand, People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak insists that it was not the NABU suspicions served in January 2026 that caused the deterioration in the quality of voting in the Rada. According to him, deputies from the "Servant of the People" began to give fewer votes for important bills much earlier: the number sharply began to fall from July 2025, and then generally collapsed from November 2025. In the deputy's opinion, this "fatigue" arose when the government changed, the deputies were "thrown under the bus" in July with the story of voting against the independence of NABU, and the President's rating and authority fell.

To confirm his words, Zheleznyak provides a graph of voting by various groups and factions, which shows a drop in support for important votes by deputies from the "Servant of the People" starting from last year.

Another reason for the deputies' resistance was voiced by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, Danylo Hetmantsev. He wrote that the fault lies with: "the Yermak and Co. gang, which, by the way, became the main catalyst and primary cause of what is happening in the VR today."

In a comment for , Danylo Hetmantsev replied more temperately: "Votes are absent as a result of a political crisis. A political crisis does not occur as a result of a single event—it is the result of a concentration of various interests, motives, and forces. And yes, it certainly has catalysts."

Hetmantsev sees the solution in "reforming, cleansing ourselves of the Yermak group, drawing conclusions from mistakes, and working for the state, ensuring a sustainable peace." He also emphasized that he votes for all necessary, albeit unpopular, decisions.

How Zelenskyy wants to force deputies to vote

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not accept the reasons for the parliamentary crisis, does not recognize its existence, and even more so, does not act to establish a dialogue between the government and the parliament. His solution is simple: deputies must vote obediently and quickly.

"All necessary bills have already been prepared, and deputies can join the work and vote FOR them," Zelenskyy noted.

Nor does he recognize the right of deputies to legislative initiative, at least as a form of resistance: "Issues of defense and finance for Ukraine should not be discussed for long. Why are there a thousand amendments to this or that law from the EU or from the IMF? For whom are these amendments?" the President is indignant.

And to stimulate the deputies to vote, the President threatens to introduce amendments and allow the mobilization of deputies "who are not ready to work further in the parliament."

"I am ready to discuss with representatives of the parliament the law regarding changes to mobilization so that deputies can go to the front. If you do not serve the state in the parliament, then serve the state at the front. This is my approach," the President emphasized.

However, as recently as January 7, 2025, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the guarantor of the Constitution, was categorically against the mobilization of deputies and emphasized that it could be regarded as coercion. Thus, in response to a petition on the mobilization of deputies, the President replied the following: "Forced mobilization of people's deputies of Ukraine may be regarded as coercing them to perform certain duties or make certain decisions, have negative consequences such as the loss of independence of a people's deputy of Ukraine, a decrease in the efficiency of his activities, as well as violate the principles of democratic governance and the separation of powers."

David Arakhamia, the head of the "Servant of the People" faction, took it upon himself to explain that this was allegedly not about pressure and threats to people's deputies, but about something else. He noted that there were certain requests from deputies about the desire to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), but the legislation does not allow this.

"There are individual colleagues who are attached to certain units, carry out some work there, and are present in the Rada on plenary days. But legally they are not military personnel, but members of parliament. Obviously, this is what was meant. That the President is ready to discuss legislative changes with the parliament that will allow deputies to be military personnel," David Arakhamia suggested.

However, People's Deputy Serhiy Rudyk, who has served in the AFU since 2022, reasonably proves that this was precisely the intimidation of the "mono-majority," because the problem of combining military service and work in the parliament does not exist.

"No one prevents deputies from serving even now. There is a decision by the NAPC which allows deputies during the period of martial law to combine parliamentary work with service in the AFU. I went as a volunteer in February '22, served three years and two months, not in the rear. As a deputy, when I could, I joined the work of committees online, and during military leaves, I came to the session. Deputies—'volunteers' can simply turn to the Pechersk TCC without a separate law," Serhiy Rudyk explained.

The deputy emphasizes: statements about the mobilization of deputies are more like an attempt to put the mono-majority in its place.