Poroshenko on parliamentary crisis: MPs staging 'Italian strike,' calls for national unity coalition

Member of parliament and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko warned of a parliamentary crisis in Ukraine and called for the creation of a national unity coalition.

"The internal parliamentary crisis is not imaginary, it is not political rhetoric – it is absolutely real. The coalition required by the Constitution of Ukraine does not exist either de jure or de facto. Tens of millions of Ukrainians have become hostages of several dozen MPs implicated in corruption recordings. Deputies have staged an 'Italian strike,' blocking the work of parliament simply because some people do not like anti-corruption investigations and demand the return and destruction of the recordings in which they appear," Poroshenko said in a video address on Monday.

"Ignoring such challenges is not just a mistake – it is dangerous for the country. That is why the time has come to emphasize that the way out of the crisis is a national unity coalition," he said.

Poroshenko said that since parliamentary and presidential elections cannot be held during martial law, the only constitutional way out of the crisis is the formation of a new parliamentary majority.

However, he said the issue is not about the distribution of positions but about developing a program of action for the country and a professional approach to decision-making.

The politician called on the president to hold a meeting with the democratic opposition, involving the government and parliamentary leadership.

He also said Ukraine is currently facing a particularly difficult moment in its history, referring to the security situation related to the war in the Middle East, the suspension of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, and what he described as a crisis caused by a complete halt in European integration processes and reforms.

According to Poroshenko, the key priorities for a national unity coalition should include security issues, social protection and European integration.

"The European Solidarity faction is ready to vote for such decisions regardless of whether we are part of the coalition or not. But the issue of creating a national unity coalition is overdue. We are ready for a serious and responsible conversation with the president of Ukraine," Poroshenko said, adding that such a meeting should take place urgently with the participation of parliamentary leadership, the government and representatives of the democratic opposition.