Petro Poroshenko

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Template:Eastern Slavic name

Petro Poroshenko
Петро Порошенко
President-elect of Ukraine
Assuming office
June 2014
SucceedingOleksandr Turchynov
(Acting)
2nd Minister of Trade and Economic Development
In office
23 March 2012 – 24 December 2012
Prime MinisterMykola Azarov
Preceded byAndriy Klyuyev
Succeeded byIhor Prasolov
9th Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
9 October 2009 – 11 March 2010
Prime MinisterYulia Tymoshenko
Oleksandr Turchynov (Acting)
Preceded byVolodymyr Khandohiy
Succeeded byKostyantyn Gryshchenko
4th Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council
In office
8 February 2005 – 8 September 2005
PresidentViktor Yushchenko
Preceded byVolodymyr Radchenko
Succeeded byAnatoliy Kinakh
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Assumed office
12 December 2012
In office
25 May 2006 – 15 July 2007
In office
12 May 1998 – 8 September 2005
Personal details
Born
Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko

(1965-09-26) 26 September 1965 (age 58)
Bolhrad, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partySocial Democratic Party
(Before 2001)
Solidarity (2001–present)
Other political
affiliations		Our Ukraine-People's Self-defence Bloc (2002–2012)
SpouseMaryna Poroshenko
ChildrenOlexiy
Yevheniya
Oleksandra
Mykhaylo
Alma materNational University of Kyiv

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko (Ukrainian: Петро Олексійович Порошенко; born 26 September 1965 in Bolhrad) is a Ukrainian billionaire businessman and the President-Elect of Ukraine. Poroshenko has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2010, and as the Minister of Trade and Economic Development in 2012. From 2007 until 2012, he headed the Council of Ukraine's National Bank. Other than government work, Poroshenko works in confectionery and has the nickname the 'Chocolate King', but also owns different types of companies. He was elected as President of Ukraine on 25 May 2014 with over 55% of the vote, thus winning in the first round without the need for a run-off.

Early life and education

Poroshenko was born in the city of Bolhrad, Odessa Oblast, on 26 September 1965,[1] but was raised in the city of Vinnytsia in central Ukraine.[2] In 1989, he graduated with a degree in economics from the international relations and international law department (subsequently the Institute of International Relations) of Kiev State University.[3]

Business career

After graduation, Poroshenko started his own business selling cacao beans. In the 1990s, he acquired control over several confectionery enterprises. Subsequently, he united his holdings in that industry into Roshen group, the largest confectionery manufacturer in Ukraine. The fortune he made in the chocolate industry earned him the nickname Chocolate King.[4] Poroshenko's business empire also includes several car and bus plants, Leninska Kuznya shipyard, the 5 Kanal[5] television channel as well as other businesses. In March 2012, Forbes placed him on the Forbes list of billionaires at 1,153rd place, with $1 billion.[6]

List of businesses associated with Poroshenko

Many businesses were once part of the Ukrprominvest which Poroshenko headed in 1993-1998. The investment group was dissolved in April of 2012.[7]

Political career

Member of Parliament and Secretary of the NSDC

Poroshenko first won a seat in the Verkhovna Rada (the Parliament of Ukraine) in 1998. He was initially a member of the United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine (SDPU(o)), the party most loyal to president Leonid Kuchma at the time. Poroshenko left SDPU(o) in 2000 to create an independent left-of-center faction, naming it Solidarity.[8] In 2001 Poroshenko was instrumental in creating the Party of Regions, also loyal to Kuchma, but Solidarity never joined the Party of Regions.[9] However, in December 2001 he broke ranks with Kuchma supporters to become campaign chief of Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Bloc opposition faction. After parliamentary elections in March 2002 in which Our Ukraine won the biggest share of the popular vote and Poroshenko won a seat in parliament,[10] Poroshenko served as head of the parliamentary budget committee, where he was accused of "misplacing 47 million hryvnias" (USD$ 8.9 million).[11]

Poroshenko was considered a close confidant of Yushchenko, who is godfather to Poroshenko's daughters. Poroshenko was likely to have been the wealthiest businessman among Yushchenko supporters, and was often named as one of the main financial backers of Our Ukraine and the Orange Revolution.[12] After Yushchenko won the presidential elections in 2004, Poroshenko was appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.[3]

In September 2005, highly publicized mutual allegations of corruption erupted between Poroshenko and Tymoshenko involving the privatizations of state-owned firms. Poroshenko, for example, was accused of defending the interests of Viktor Pinchuk, who had acquired state firm Nikopol Ferroalloy for $80 million, independently valued at $1 billion.[13] In response to the allegations, Yushchenko dismissed his entire cabinet of ministers, including Poroshenko and Prime Minister Tymoshenko.[14] State prosecutors dismissed an abuse of power investigation against Poroshenko the following month,[15] immediately after Yushchenko dismissed Svyatoslav Piskun, General Prosecutor of Ukraine. Piskun claimed that he was sacked because he refused to institute criminal proceedings against Tymoshenko and refused to drop proceedings against Poroshenko.[16]

In the March 2006 parliamentary election Poroshenko was re-elected to the Ukrainian parliament with the support of Our Ukraine electoral bloc. He chaired the parliamentary Committee on Finance and Banking. Allegedly, since Poroshenko claimed the post of Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament for himself, the Socialist Party of Ukraine chose to be part of the Alliance of National Unity because it was promised that their party leader, Oleksandr Moroz, would be elected chairman if the coalition were formed.[14] This left Poroshenko's Our Ukraine and their ally Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc out of the Government.

Poroshenko did not run in the September 2007 parliamentary election. Since February 2007, Poroshenko has headed the Council of Ukraine's National Bank.[14][17]

Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009–2010)

Poroshenko at the Russian-Ukrainian international commission meeting in 2009

Ukrainian President Yushchenko nominated Poroshenko for foreign minister on 7 October 2009.[17][18] Poroshenko was appointed by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) on 9 October 2009.[19][20] On 12 October 2009 President Yushchenko (re)appointed Poroshenko into the National Security and Defense Council.[21] Poroshenko supported Ukrainian NATO-membership. However, he also stated NATO membership should not be a goal in itself.[22] Although Poroshenko was dismissed as foreign minister on 11 March 2010, President Viktor Yanukovych expressed hope for further cooperation with him.[5]

Minister of Economic Development and Trade

In late February 2012 Poroshenko was named as the new Minister of Trade and Economic Development in the Azarov Government;[23][24][25] on 9 March 2012 President Yanukovych stated he wanted Poroshenko to work in the government in the post of economic development and trade minister.[26] On 23 March 2012 Poroshenko was appointed economic development and trade minister of Ukraine by Yanukovych.[27] The same month he stepped down as head of the Council of Ukraine's National Bank.[28]

Return to Verkhovna Rada

Ukrainian opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko, Poroshenko (second left) and Arseniy Yatsenyuk (right) with United States Secretary of State John Kerry (second right) at the Munich Security Conference 2014.

Poroshenko returned to Verkhovna Rada (parliament) after the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election after winning with more than 70% as an independent candidate in single-member districts number 150 (first-past-the-post wins a parliament seat) located in Vinnytsia Oblast.[29][30] He did not enter any faction in parliament.[31] In mid-February 2013, Poroshenko hinted he would run for Mayor of Kiev in the 2013 Kiev mayoral election.[32]

2014 presidential campaign

Main article: Ukrainian presidential election, 2014

Following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the resulting removal of Viktor Yanukovych from the office of President of Ukraine, new presidential elections were scheduled to take place on 25 May 2014.[33] In pre-election polls from March 2014, Poroshenko was the highest rated of all the prospective candidates, with one poll conducted by SOCIS giving him a rating of over 40%.[34] On 29 March he stated that he will run for president; at the same time Vitali Klitschko exited the presidential contest, choosing to support Poroshenko's bid.[35][36][37][38] On 2 April Poroshenko stated, "If I am elected, I will be honest and sell the Roshen Concern."[39] He also said in early April that the level of popular support for the idea of Ukraine's joining NATO was too small to put on the agenda "so as not to ruin the country."[40] On 14 April, Poroshenko publicly endorsed the campaign of Jarosław Gowin's party Poland Together of neighbouring Poland in this year's elections to the European Parliament, thanking Gowin's party colleague Paweł Kowal for supporting Ukraine.[41]

Klitschko's decision to abandon the presidential ambitions for Poroshenko was welcomed by the former head of the presidential Yanukovych administration Sergei Liovochkin.[42] The internet publication Ukrayinska Pravda, referring to the Austrian press, reported that Poroshenko and Klitschko formed their union on request by Ukrainian billionaire Dmitry Firtash,[43] who is facing bribery charges in the U.S.[44] Firtash publicly confirmed that he supports Poroshenko in the presidential election.[45] It was announced in late May that Poroshenko had won the Ukranian presidency, with over 55% of the votes.[46]

References

  1. ^ "Petro Poroshenko Net Worth". The Richest. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Kerry heads for crisis talks over Ukraine". The Scotsman. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Ukraine's tycoon Poroshenko confirms plans to sell assets". Itar Tass. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  4. ^ Abram Brown (31 March 2014). "The Willy Wonka Of Ukraine Is Now The Leading Presidential Candidate". Forbes. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  5. ^ a b "Poroshenko is not going to sell Channel 5 TV". Ukrainian News. Kyiv Post. 23 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2010. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  6. ^ Brian Bonner (8 March 2012). "Eight Ukrainians make Forbes magazine's list of world billionaires". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 8 March 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
  7. ^ Concern "Ukrprominvest" announced its liquidation. UNIAN. April 24, 2012
  8. ^ Ukrainian Political Update by Taras Kuzio and Alex Frishberg, Frishberg & Partners, 21 February 2008 (page 22)
  9. ^ New «region» formed in Ukrainian Parliament, Central European University (26 March 2001)
  10. ^ "Results of voting in single-mandate constituencies". Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  11. ^ Nations in Transit 2004: Democratization in East Central Europe and Eurasia. Freedom House.
  12. ^ Hanly, Ken (25 May 2014). "Op-Ed: Petro Poroshenko the oligarch poised to become Ukraine president". Digital Journal. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  13. ^ Alex Rodriguez (27 September 2005). "In Ukraine, old whiff of scandal in new regime". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
  14. ^ a b c "Biography" (in Russian). Korrespondent.net. Archived from the original on 19 July 2006. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  15. ^ "Prosecutors Close Criminal Case Against Yushchenko's Close Ally". Kiev Ukraine News Blog. 21 October 2005.
  16. ^ "Independent standpoint on Ukraine:Dismissal of Prosecutor-General, Closure of Poroshenko Case Create New". ForUm. 28 October 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2012. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  17. ^ a b "Regions Party not to vote for Poroshenko's appointment Ukraine's foreign minister". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2009. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  18. ^ "Ukrainian president proposes Petro Poroshenko for foreign minister". Interfax-Ukraine. 7 October 2009.
  19. ^ Rada appoints Poroshenko Ukraine's foreign minister, Interfax-Ukraine (9 October 2009)
  20. ^ By 240 out of 440 MPs registered in the session hall. In particular, 151 MPs of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko faction, 63 of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Bloc, 20 members of the Bloc of Volodymyr Lytvyn, one deputy of the Party of Regions, one member of the Communist Party faction, and four deputies not belonging to any faction voted for the nomination.
  21. ^ "Poroshenko put on Ukraine's NSCD". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 12 October 2009.
  22. ^ "Poroshenko: Ukraine could join NATO in 1-2 years, with political, public will". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2009. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  23. ^ "Mass Media:Poroshenko heads Ministry of Economy". UNIAN. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  24. ^ "Regions Party: Poroshenko appointed economy minister, Kolobov appointed finance minister". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  25. ^ "President:Prime Minister nominated Petro Poroshenko for Minister of Economy". President.gov.ua. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  26. ^ "Ukrainian president wants Poroshenko to head economic development and trade ministry". Interfax-Ukraine. Kyiv Post. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  27. ^ "Poroshenko appointed economic development and trade minister of Ukraine". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
    "Poroshenko explains reasons behind accepting economy minister's post". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  28. ^ "Порошенко Петр Алексеевич" (in Russian). ЛІГА.net. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "Полтавська область. Одномандатний виборчий округ №112" (in Ukrainian). Central Election Commission of Ukraine. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "Minister Poroshenko and his father registered as self-nominees for Vinnytsia region". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  31. ^ "Poroshenko not intending to join any faction". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
    "Poroshenko fears uncontrolled economic situation in Ukraine due to foreign borrowing". Interfax-Ukraine. 20 June 2013.
  32. ^ "Poroshenko appears set to join race for Kyiv mayor". Ukraine Business Online. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2013. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  33. ^ "Ukraine: Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov named interim president". BBC News. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
    "Ukraine protests timeline". BBC News. 23 February 2014. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  34. ^ http://www.socis.kiev.ua
  35. ^ "Klitschko will run for mayor of Kyiv". Interfax-Ukraine. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  36. ^ "Klitschko believes only presidential candidate from democratic forces should be Poroshenko". Interfax-Ukraine. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  37. ^ Colin Freeman (29 March 2014). "Petro Poroshenko, the billionaire chocolate baron hoping to become Ukraine's next president". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  38. ^ "Ukraine: former boxer Vitaliy Klitschko ends presidential bid and backs Poroshenko". Euronews. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  39. ^ "Poroshenko ready to sell Roshen if elected president". Interfax-Ukraine. 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  40. ^ "Question of Ukraine's membership of NATO may split country - Poroshenko". Interfax-Ukraine. 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help)
  41. ^ "Polska Razem czarnym koniem? Mocne słowa Gowina". 12 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 1 December 2008 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ "Liovochkin satisfied with the decision Klitschko yield Poroshenko". Ukrpravda. 29 March 2014.
  43. ^ "Klitschko decided to support Poroshenko after a secret meeting with Firtash". Ukrainian pravda. 2 April 2014.
  44. ^ "Ukrainian billionaire Dmitry Firtash, facing U.S. bribery charges". bloomberg. 13 May 2014.
  45. ^ "Firtash has confirmed the fact of meeting with Poroshenko". novostimira. 30 April 2014.
  46. ^ "Petro Poroshenko claims Ukraine presidency". BBC. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Petro Poroshenko.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
2009–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Trade and Economic Development
2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Ukraine
Elect
2014–present 		Incumbent

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