Can the Chocolate King bring the Ukrainian Economy back on track?

Has the Euromaidan movement made a lasting dent in Ukraine’s economy? What measures can be taken to mitigate the effects of political upheaval? And what can we expect from the man known as the Chocolate King? 

Guests

Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Head of Public Affairs and Executive Vice-President, Unicredit Group

 

Chaired by

Andrew Wilson, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR

 

As civil unrest continues to plague Ukraine, its economic stability remains tenuous. Despite a considerable injection of international assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, the EU, and the US, Ukraine’s newly elected president Petro Poroshenko faces mounting economic problems, including a large current account deficit, a sharp decline in tax collection, and low foreign exchange reserves. Has the Euromaidan movement made a lasting dent in Ukraine’s economy? What measures can be taken to mitigate the effects of political upheaval? And what can we expect from the man known as the Chocolate King? 

Giuseppe Scognamiglio is a member of the Unicredit Management Board. Before joining the banking group (2003), he served in the diplomatic service including as chief of staff of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2001-2002). He is also a member of the Board of Save the Children Italy and Editorial Coordinator of the Review of International Policy and Economy ‘East’.

Andrew Wilson is a Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR. He is a permanent Reader in Ukrainian Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He has published widely on the politics and culture of the European neighbourhood, particularly on Ukraine, and on the comparative politics of democratisation in the post-Soviet states.