A worthy alternative to OPZZH? Who will Razumkov compete with for a seat in the Rada?

Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the IX convocation and former head of the Ukrainian parliament (2019-2021) Dmitry Razumkov is seriously preparing for the 2025 parliamentary elections with his party "Rational Policy." One of the reasons is the desire to demonstrate the kind of enemy that the current president Volodymyr Zelensky has acquired.

As explained to "Telegraph" by Razumkov's circle, he will "market" himself as an experienced politician who knows how to govern the country. According to his team's assessments, Razumkov's party could garner 6—10% of the voter support.

Read more on the "Telegraph" website in the publication: "The Alliance of Zaluzhny with Zelensky, the Comeback of Levochekin, but without Arestovych: Who and How in Ukraine is (Not) Preparing for Elections".

"When I met him, I understood what political elites are. He knows when to take a step back to later take two steps forward," says one of his team members about the politician.

In the near future, Razumkov will attempt to recruit two more majoritarian deputies from the ruling "Servant of the People" party — Lyubov Shpak and Alexander Bozhkov. Other members of his team, who still remain in the SN, cannot leave the faction. Since they are "list members" — leaving voluntarily would result in losing their mandate.

Sources from "Telegraph" report that Razumkov currently has an alliance with other "former" politicians — Arsen Avakov, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and Volodymyr Groysman. This coalition is financially supported by the well-known oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, although Razumkov's entourage denies this.

The main obstacle for Razumkov is the perception of him as a politician with pro-Russian views. In political circles, including among Poroshenko's team, he is considered a worthy replacement for the banned party "Opposition Platform — For Life" (OPZZH).

However, Razumkov's circle does not confirm the intention to fight for this niche. They add that their main competitors are Tymoshenko and Zaluzhny, as indicated by their own analysis. In the next convocation, Razumkov envisions himself as the speaker again.

Recall that Poroshenko explained to "Telegraph" what position the fifth president agrees to.