Zelensky defended Mendel, but her behavior raised questions, - opinion

The story of Yulia Mendel raises a broader question about the government's personnel policy and responsibility for appointing people to important state positions, journalist Vitaly Portnikov said on Esprit's air.

As Portnikov noted, Mendel's conduct raised questions even during her time as president Volodymyr Zelensky's press secretary; however, at that time the head of state publicly came to her defense. The journalist pointed out that after her dismissal from the press secretary position, she continued to speak positively about Zelensky for a long time.

“What has changed in her position since then? I mean, she knew so much. She left the post and continued to enjoy her connections with the president, to tell how wonderful he is, how brilliant he is, how wonderful he is. What happened after that?” the journalist said.

Portnikov reminded that Mendel used to work for Es Func, but her collaboration with them lasted only a short time.

“She worked at Es Func and showed herself there as a person, let's say, with rather odd behavioral tendencies, but they quickly parted ways with her. She was not here the press secretary; of course, she was just a journalist. And in the Office of the President it was as if they did not notice who they were dealing with,” he noted.

According to Portnikov, this situation is part of a broader problem with personnel policy. He stressed that reactions to an official's conduct should arise not only when a situation escalates into a major scandal.

“When a ‘girl’ can behave not very politely toward journalists, that's fine, that's okay. But if the ‘girl’ crosses all the lines with you and the state, then sanctions can be introduced. But everything starts small,” Portnikov said.

He concluded that similar stories point to the need to revisit the principles by which the government selects people for responsible state positions: “The very approach to personnel policy needs to change.”