Saakashvili: Ukraine needs new revolution

The head of Ukraine's National Reform Council, Mikheil Saakashvili, who received the post just over a day ago, believes that the country needs to step up the process of attracting foreign investment.

"As businesses are leaving China, Ukraine can again become an industrial hub of Europe, it can really reach this level for the first time," the politician said on the talk show "Savik Shuster’s Freedom of Speech ."

In order for this to become a reality, according to Saakashvili, the country should change a lot, for example, to reduce the regulatory bureaucracy by 80%.

"An anti-bureaucratic, anti-elite revolution must take place in Ukraine. All those people who feel so good near the "trough", they have not gone anywhere, they have remained. And they're waiting for this fervor to pass. They want that the people who want change would weaken, and they would say again that, here we say, they failed, we warned you. It's better to listen to us, old experienced professionals. I think it's like that," Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili pointed out that in this situation the role and personality of the current President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who, in his opinion, is decisive and is not a representative of the old elite, should not be underestimated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree appointing former Georgian president and ex-governor of Odessa region Mikheil Saakashvili as head of the National Reform Council on the evening of May 7. "I sincerely congratulate Mikheil Nikolaevich on the new significant challenge. I believe that he will be able to give impetus to the National Reform Council and help in implementing important changes in the life of the country," said Zelensky.

  Saakashvili, Zelensky, National Reform Council

Comments