Macron and Costa tried to stop Zelenskyy from signing NABU and SAPO law, media report
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron (Office of the President of Ukraine)
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President António Costa tried to dissuade Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from signing the controversial draft law No. 12414. They called Zelenskyy shortly before he signed it, the Financial Times reports.
The outlet refers to its own sources among European officials. According to them, Macron and Costa phoned Zelenskyy at the very last minute.
In addition to them, G7 ambassadors in Kyiv also urged Zelenskyy not to sign the bill, which limits the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
One ambassador claimed they were kept in a closed room without phones for over two hours to prevent them from informing their governments about Zelenskyy’s intentions. Despite every attempt to convince him, the Ukrainian President eventually signed the bill.
The Financial Times also spoke with a member of parliament from the Servant of the People party. He described how MPs were gathered for the vote. According to him, the Presidential Office allegedly ordered lawmakers to return to the capital to support the bill urgently. At the same time, MPs from the ruling faction were warned that any sign of resistance would be noted.
Law on NABU and SAPO
On July 22, the Ukrainian Parliament passed draft law No. 12414, which significantly alters the distribution of powers between the country’s anti-corruption agencies. The law also strengthens the role of the Prosecutor General’s Office in cases that were previously handled exclusively by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
In response, protests took place in Kyiv and several other cities. Nevertheless, Zelenskyy signed the bill. However, following public backlash and demands from European officials, the President later announced a new draft law intended to address the issue of powers granted to NABU and SAPO.
RBC-Ukraine analyzed the controversial provisions of the law and outlined the alternative proposals put forward by the President.
