Volodymyr Borysovych GroysmanGroysman or Hroysman? The Ukrainian Weekly. 22 April 2016 (, ; born 20 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2016 to 2019.
Born in Vinnytsia, Groysman was its mayor from 2006 to 2014 and served as Vice-President of the Association of Ukrainian Cities on Housing and Communal Services (2010–2014). He briefly served as acting prime minister and Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Communal Services in 2014 and later served as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada until 2016, elected through the Petro Poroshenko Bloc list.
Biography Groysman was born into a Jewish family in Vinnytsia, then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Union), on 20 January 1978.
In 1994, Groysman graduated from Vinnytsia Secondary School No. 35.
At 14, he began working as a locksmith at the Shkolyar (Schoolboy) cooperative, which had been founded by his father, Boris Isaakovich Groysman. In August 1994, aged 16, he graduated from school and was appointed as commercial director of the private small enterprise OKO. Three months later he began work as commercial director of the Vinnytsia market enterprise Yunist, which was his father's.
In 1999, Groysman graduated from the Vinnytsia Institute of Regional Economy and Management with a junior specialist degree in law.
In 2003, he graduated from the private higher education institution Interregional Academy of Personnel Management with a degree in law. In February 2010, he completed studies at the National Academy of Public Administration of the President of Ukraine, earning a master’s degree in Public Development Management with a focus on regional and local governance.
Career
Mayor of Vinnytsia In 2002, at 24, he won a seat in the Vinnytsia City Council in majoritarian district No. 29, becoming the youngest council member. In November 2005, he was elected Secretary of the Vinnytsia City Council and Acting Mayor of Vinnytsia. In March 2006, he won the mayoral election.
In the next 2010 election, Groysman was nominated by the political party Conscience of Ukraine and re-elected with substantial support, winning 77.8% of the vote.
As mayor, Groysman implemented a street lighting program, started in 2002, aimed at energy conservation and maximizing city lighting. During his first term, he initiated extensive road repairs on main and secondary streets. In 2006, he regulated unorganized street trade that blocked sidewalks.
In December 2006, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Switzerland and Ukraine, Groysman promoted cooperation between Vinnytsia and Zurich. From 2007 to 2011, Vinnytsia received 116 decommissioned Zurich trams from the late 1950s and 1960s, which were repaired and came with warranties. Later, free Wi-Fi was installed on these trams. In 2012, he led reforms of the city’s transportation system, reducing the number of minibuses. In 2013, the city purchased 30 buses and 40 trolleybuses, and completed the tram line on Vysenka.
In addition to foreign support, local resources were used for city development. Through co-financing, Vinnytsia installed water supply and sewage systems, repaired roads in residential areas, and maintained a landfill in Stadnytsia.
During Groysman’s tenure as mayor, Vinnytsia abolished district divisions and district councils. In 2008, the city launched the first "Transparent Office" to provide administrative services to the public. This system, later expanded across Ukraine, served as a model. The central bridge in Vinnytsia was also repaired.
Between 2007 and 2013, Groysman attracted over 736 million UAH in external investments to Vinnytsia. For the first time under his administration, Vinnytsia was recognized as the best regional city to live in Ukraine.
During his tenure, the city opened diagnostic and perinatal centers, reconstructed the riverside, opened a fountain in Central Park, expanded the Vinnytsia Oil and Fat Plant, and established "Bastion-2009" and the waste recycling company "Ekovin."
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine On 27 February 2014, Groysman was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Communal Services at the invitation of Prime Minister Yatsenyuk. His primary focus was on decentralization and local governance reform, becoming an advocate and architect of the decentralization reform that began on 1 April 2014.
He also coordinated reforms of state control agencies. In the summer and fall of 2014, he headed the Government Anti-Crisis Energy Headquarters, the State Commission for investigating the MH17 downing (from 17 July 2014), coordinated efforts for internally displaced persons and managed reconstruction in the Donbas region, working with international donors.
Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada
Groysman was elected to the Verkhovna Rada as a member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc.Inna Stepanchuk. "I am proud to be a Ukrainian". And you?" / "Ukraina moloda." - K., No. 4 (4831), 14 January 2015, p. 6. On 27 November 2014, he was elected Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and on 15 December 2014, he was appointed to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.Decree of the President of Ukraine from 15 грудня 2014 year № 929/2014 «Про склад Ради національної безпеки і оборони України»
Groysman initiated the Legislative Reform Support Plan, which outlined tasks for parliament members for one or two quarters. According to Groysman, the plan’s goal was to establish legislative guidelines for reforms, assign responsibilities for drafting bills, and set time frames for legislative support of reforms.
In March 2015, he supported a bill banning Russian television series. During the 2016 government crisis, he was considered a potential candidate for the position of Prime Minister of Ukraine from the ruling faction.
In July 2015, Groysman initiated parliamentary reform. Together with Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament. This document launched a Needs Assessment Mission, led by former European Parliament President Pat Cox, which resulted in a proposal for reforming the Ukrainian parliament.
During "Ukrainian Week" in Brussels in 2016, a roadmap for internal reform and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Verkhovna Rada was approved. Unfortunately, the reform was not implemented due to a lack of support from President Petro Poroshenko. That same year, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution recognizing the European Parliament Mission’s recommendations as a basis for internal reform.
After the leadership change in the Verkhovna Rada in 2016, the reform's implementation slowed. However, the reform initiated by Groysman continued in the format of the Jean Monnet Dialogues and a mediation process involving joint efforts from the Ukrainian and European parliaments to develop political dialogue and consensus among political parties.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
2016 election and initial actions On 14 April 2016, Groysman was appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine, receiving support from 257 deputies of the BPP, People's Front, Revival, and People's Will factions. During his early months as Prime Minister, Groysman was often described by journalists as lacking independence and closely connected to President Petro Poroshenko. However, over time, he began to distance himself from Poroshenko and criticize him.
As Prime Minister, he prioritized preparing for large-scale decentralization reform, as well as reforms in healthcare, infrastructure, and transport. Following his appointment, the BBC reported that critics considered him an "ally of the president" and a "product of the old order," rather than a leader who would push for necessary changes.
At the end of April, the government set a single gas price for households and industrial consumers, which raised the cost for households to UAH 6,900 per 1,000 m³. This decision aimed to establish market prices for gas, with the goal of restoring Ukrainian gas production and achieving gas independence by 2020.
During the first 100 days of Groysman’s government, there was partial stabilization of the political and economic situation. One of the government's main priorities was road repairs, with a planned increase in road repair funding from UAH 4 billion to UAH 19 billion. In the first 100 days, Groysman met with European Council President Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and other Western political leaders.
On 8 June Groysman stated that nearly 54 billion UAH had been allocated to the general fund of local budgets over five months, adding that this amount exceeded the figure for the same period by 17 billion UAH. By 9 December he stated that local budgets had increased by 60% (UAH 44 billion) compared to the previous year, and that during the reform period in Ukraine, 184 consolidated territorial communities were established. By 2017, UAH 9 billion was earmarked for decentralization reforms.
On 19 October, Groysman claimed he had managed to halt the economic decline and initiate economic recovery, aiming to accelerate this growth.
He considered judicial reform to be a key mechanism in combating corruption. On 13 December he announced that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine had approved a healthcare reform concept and announced pay raises for healthcare workers.Володимир Гройсман: Наше завдання у реформі охорони здоров'я — створити самодостатню систему, що дасть можливість збільшити тривалість життя громадян
On 21 December 2016, the Verkhovna Rada approved the government-proposed 2017 State Budget with 274 votes from five factions: BPP, People’s Front, Lyashko's Radical Party, Revival, and People’s Will. Groysman described the budget as "people-centered," with provisions for major road repairs, support for the agricultural sector, and a 50% salary increase for teachers and a 30% increase for doctors. UAH 6 billion was allocated for medications, and the budget continued decentralization efforts.
The budget projected a 3% GDP growth, doubling the minimum wage to UAH 3,200, and allocated nearly UAH 500 million to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv in May 2017. The government's plans included increasing income for Ukrainians, reducing the Pension Fund deficit, and encouraging economic recovery. The IMF praised the budget and expressed willingness to provide Ukraine with the next loan tranche to support ongoing reforms.
In Q4 of 2016, Ukraine’s economic growth reached 4.7%. In March 2017, following a trade blockade with the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Groysman announced the need to revise the 3% economic growth target.
2017 On 25 January 2017, Groysman stated that the Cabinet was working on a four-year development plan for the country from 2017 to 2020.
By early 2017, 950 km of roads had been repaired at a cost of UAH 6.3 billion. The civil service reform allowed for the selection of heads of regional and district state administrations, central executive bodies, and ministries based on a competitive process. Additionally, the government transitioned to an electronic document management system between the government, central executive bodies, and regional administrations. Sixteen electronic services were introduced in construction, registration, and environmental sectors.
On 13 March 2017, Groysman became the first Ukrainian politician to communicate with Elon Musk on Twitter. On 30 March Groysman sent an official letter to Musk regarding discussions on establishing energy infrastructure.
On 1 April 2017, the "Affordable Medicines" program began, allowing for free or low-cost access to a number of medications, including treatments for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and bronchial asthma.