Expert: Poroshenko is deluded about autocephaly cranking up his rating

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

The issue of the Local Church is not motivating for the inhabitants of the country; therefore political strategists deceive Petro Poroshenko with the fact that obtaining autocephaly can significantly raise his rating. This was said by Director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflict Management Mikhail Pogrebinsky in an interview with Glavnovosti outlet.

"The President does not plan far ahead. He must solve the problem – be elected for the second term," the expert notes. “Therefore, Oleg Medvedev (journalist, political technologist – Ed.) and the company simply deceive Poroshenko that he will receive an additional 5% of votes if he succeeds. He will not get anything: there is no motivational lever for a significant number of people."

The political expert believes that autocephaly is supported by those Ukrainians for whom distancing from Russia, including spiritual, is important: "I admit they believe that being separated from the Russian Orthodox Church is good and will be beneficial for Ukraine."

However, according to opinion polls, the majority of the country's residents are not really concerned with the topic of autocephaly: "At present a large part of Ukraine's population is below the poverty line, the country has a high mortality rate, so even those people who used to support Poroshenko will no longer do it," the expert adds. “There is a small core that remains committed to Poroshenko and is ready to vote for him. I think it might be 5% from all Ukrainian citizens. It's not enough to get into the second round."

Pogrebinsky also notes that the interference of politicians in the spiritual sphere and the organization of religious life can only lead to negative results: "Politicians with their dirty hands make an incursion into spirituality but nothing good will come of it – there will be only discord, problems, conflicts, and politicians will be the only ones to have gains, who use beautiful words for their own interest – money, career etc."

"We remember Petro Poroshenko speaking with current MP Vadim Novinsky from the Opposition Bloc when he called the latter "You Orthodox bitch!". Is a man, who has at least a fraction of Orthodox sentiment, able to say this?" wonders the expert.

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