Second Azarov government


The second Azarov government was Ukraine's government from 24 December 2012 to 28 January 2014. It was dissolved during the Euromaidan protests. The ministers, continued shortly as a caretaker government. On 27 February 2014 Ukraine's parliament approved a resolution to dismiss the government.

Creation

On 3 December 2012, the first Azarov government became a caretaker government after Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich accepted the resignation of prime minister Mykola Azarov and his government following the 28 October 2012 parliamentary election. A number of government members, including Prime Minister Azarov, were elected to parliament in that election. In order to get these parliamentary mandates, they were obliged to submit documents on the dismissal from their previous job to the Central Election Commission within 20 days after the election.
On 9 December 2012, Yanukovych nominated Azarov for a new term as prime minister. This nomination was approved by parliament on 13 December 2012. According to Svoboda, that voted absolutely against Azarov, his appointment is illegal at least due to such technicality in the law of Ukraine which requires the president of Ukraine to be physically present in the session hall of parliament during his candidacy approval by Verkhovna Rada. The People's Deputy of Ukraine from the parliamentary faction UDAR, Iryna Herashchenko, stated that the all political appointments that took place that day are a "political bribe" of the party of power to the Communist Party of Ukraine. On 4 December 2012, nine days before appointment of Azarov, a people's deputy of Ukraine from Communist Party of Ukraine Spiridon Kilinkarov insisted at the political talk show Syohodni. Pro holovne on the Ukrainian television channel TVi that communists absolutely will not vote for any candidates to the prime minister of Ukraine from Party of Regions. On 13 December, absolutely all members of the Communist Party of Ukraine voted as one for the candidacy of Mykola Azarov as the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
On 24 December 2012, the second Azarov government was appointed by president Yanukovych. The coalition of Party of Regions and Ukraine – Forward! as it is now in the government was foreseen and mentioned by the Ukrainian television studio Kvartal 95 in October 2012 in one of their episodes of Evening quarter.
According to Anders Åslund, the government faced three big tasks: to govern, to break Ukraine’s foreign isolation and to salvage the country from a vulnerable financial situation. In December 2012, he observed "little reason to believe that it can solve any of these three tasks".
Communist Party faction leader Petro Symonenko stated on 28 December 2012 that the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Party of Regions had not concluded any agreements concerning the Communist support of Mykola Azarov's candidacy for the post of Prime Minister but that his party had supported this nomination because Azarov had told them his government was ready to implement the program on Ukraine's accession to the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Symonenko added that should Azarov fail to fulfill the promise of Ukraine's joining this customs union, the Communists would initiate his resignation.

Parliamentary voting

Vote of no confidence

In 2013 the government managed twice to survive the vote of no confidence from the Ukrainian parliament until finally the president of Ukraine accepted the resignation of prime minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov earlier in 2014.
The first time the parliament voted on 19 April 2013.
The second time the parliament voted on 3 December 2013.

Fall and temporary continuation as caretaker cabinet

After weeks of Euromaidan protests, and clashes, during which civilians were killed, Prime Minister Azarov offered his letter of resignation on 28 January 2014. According to his cabinet, Azarov was quoted saying that "In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of the peaceful settlement of the conflict, I have made a personal decision to ask the Ukrainian president to accept my resignation from the post of Ukrainian prime minister". Under the Ukrainian constitution this meant the whole government had resigned. The president subsequently accepted the resignation and signed a decree dismissing the cabinet, which decree would not take effect until the Verhovna Rada approved a new cabinet. Hence the second Azarov government continued as a caretaker government. Prime Minister Azarov was replaced by deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov. But under Ukrainian law the cabinet could be able to implement its duties for no more than 60 days.
The compromise deal of 21 February 2014, between president Yanukovych and the opposition to end the February 2014 Euromaidan riots stipulated that a new national unity government was to be formed within ten days. On 27 February 2014 Ukraine's parliament approved a resolution to dismiss the government. They immediately followed it by the appointment of the new cabinet members of the Yatsenyuk government.

Achievements

In December 2013 the IMF stated that the Ukrainian government's policy mix had "generated large external and fiscal imbalances" and that this had "contributed to deepening the recession in the country".

Composition

Vice prime minister assignments