mykola azarov

a geologist by education, prime minister mykola azarov is considered by presidential allies to be of rock-hard character, tough and trusted…

a geologist by education, prime minister mykola azarov is considered by presidential allies to be of rock-hard character, tough and trusted enough to be the right hand man for ukraine’s former and current presidents. government workers see him as trusted enforcer, saying the no-nonsense technocrat is ideally suited for managing the complicated task of fixing the tax system and steering ukraine on a balanced path between russia and europe.

“the cabinet is run by mykola azarov, an avowed enemy of small and medium-sized businesses – and the president’s staunch ally. his favorite pastime: crushing his adversaries. the tax legislation he has proposed, for example, allows tax inspectors to enter people’s homes to search the place. the objective is clear: to bring the middle class to heel, bleed the opposition dry by administrative means, so his own henchmen can enrich themselves.” - ukrainian writer yuriy andrukhovych in an article, titled ‘back to the stalinist future,’ published on aug. 24…