Kyrylo Kernes, the son of former Kharkiv mayor Hennadiy Kernes, can be forgotten as a politician. Voters are unlikely to forgive him for being abroad almost from the very beginning of the large-scale invasion. Most likely, his father's surname will not help him build a political career either, political analyst Igor Reiterovich said in an exclusive commentary to UNN.
Details
In an interview, Kyrylo Kernes said that he met the full-scale war at home, but in March 2022 he left to live in Germany. On his social media, he calls himself a "fan of Kharkiv." At the same time, since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, he has never mentioned the shelling of his hometown and the deaths of Kharkiv residents. Recently, Kyrylo Kernes appeared in the media and even hinted at political ambitions.
Reiterovich noted that it is currently impossible to predict how voters will treat those who "disappeared from the radar" on February 24 and then returned.
"But judging by the reaction of people to the activities of certain politicians or political forces in the context of their involvement in the war and resistance to Russian aggression, I think that people who spend 2 years or more abroad and then try to return will have no chance," he said.
According to him, where the candidates were during the full-scale war and what they were doing will be a marker for voters.
"Those who cannot reasonably explain how they helped - there is no point in entering politics, because it will definitely be an obstacle for them that they will not jump over. And in this case, while he (Kyrylo Kernes - ed.) is accusing someone who was with Kharkiv residents and did everything for the city to survive and develop, and who was hiding abroad... In my opinion, we can forget about such people," the political scientist emphasized.
Reiterovich also believes that his father's surname, which is well known to every Kharkiv citizen, is unlikely to help Kyrylo Kernes build a political career in Ukraine.
"If you look at the history of Ukrainian politics, we have had attempts to play on certain names. But, as a rule, they did not end well. To say that we have any serious political dynasties, this has never happened in Ukrainian politics. On the one hand, this is because our politics is not as long as in the United States, for example. There have been virtually no cases of sons or daughters of famous politicians making a brilliant career. Siblings could still somehow figure in politics, but children usually do not. Ukrainians take this quite seriously," he added.
Recall
Earlier, UNN told in detail who Kirill Kernes is and how his statements play into the hands of the Kremlin. In addition, his statementthat he was not born for war is also surprising.
We also reported that Kyrylo Kernes is suspected of possibly assisting pro-Russian elements to destabilize the region.
Russian-backed politician Yevhen Muraiev may use Kernes to promote Russian goals in Ukraine. UNN's sources reportedthat Kyrylo Kernes regularly travels to Vienna to meet with Muraiev.