Rada has 35 “Dr habs” and 73 “PhDs” among people’s deputies, Chesno says

In the Verkhovna Rada as of December 2020, 35 people's deputies have Dr. hab., 73 people's deputies have Ph.D., and 35 people's deputies have the honorary title of "honored" lawyer, economist, doctor, etc.

The public movement "Chesno" reported this referring to the Verkhovna Rada's response to the request.

Details: In addition, 23 parliamentarians are teachers, associate professors, professors, or rectors.

The largest number of deputies with a scientific degree is in the "Servants of the People" faction (32), in second place, OPZZH with 12, the smallest number–four people's deputies–is in the deputy group "For the Future" and among non-factional deputies.

Most deputies with the "honored" title also in the factions "Servant of the People" and OPZZH (8 people each), most of them are honored lawyers.

For example, the People's Deputy and fellow sponsor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk, is a full member (academician) of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine.

In 1996, Medvedchuk defended his thesis for Ph.D. in Law, and in 1997, his thesis for the habilitation degree in law.

He received the habilitation degree in law in 1997 and the academic title of Professor in 2001. Medvedchuk was elected a full member (academician) of the Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine in 2000. At that time he worked as Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of the 3rd convocation.

Medvedchuk's scientific output includes 65 scientific works, and among the areas of scientific activity, there's "the Ukrainian national idea in the process of modern state formation."

Medvedchuk declared 55,000 hryvnias received for the title of academician from the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine.

"Chesno" stresses the presence of a certain title in the people's deputy doesn't mean that he'll automatically receive a supplement to his salary.

Currently, a little more than a quarter of deputies receive a bonus for an academic degree or honorary title. 20 parliamentarians receive a double allowance.

Surcharge for the degree of People's Deputy is:

• doctor of philosophy–15% of the salary;
• doctor habilitatus–25%;
• for the honorary title of "honored"–20%;
• for the honorary title of "people's"–40%.

In 2021, the salary of the Verkhovna Rada Chairperson is 27,240 hryvnias, the first deputy's salary is 26,105 hryvnias, the deputy's salary is 24,970 hryvnias; the salary of the chairperson of the committee, special commission, faction, or group is 23,835 hryvnias, of the first deputy, deputy chairperson of the committee, deputy chairperson of the special commission, secretary of the committee, deputy chairperson of the deputy faction or group, chairperson of the subcommittee of the committee is 23,381 hryvnias, of a member of the committee is 22,770 hryvnias.

"Chesno" estimated that the average deputy member of the committee has an allowance to the deputy's salary for a scientific degree or title is about 3.4 thousand hryvnias per month.

Such a sum will be received, for example, by People's Deputy Illia Kiva, if the procedure for obtaining the title of Ph.D. in Public Administration is finally passed.

More than a hundred people's deputies receive an honorary title. Among them are Batkivshchyna leader Yulia Tymoshenko, "servants" Iryna Vereshchuk and Mykola Tyshchenko, people's deputies Andrii Derkach and Oleksandr Kachura, chairperson of the law enforcement committee Denys Monastyrskyi, chair of the freedom of speech committee Nestor Shufrych, head of the Voice party Kira Rudyk, and record-breaking button-pusher Anton Yatsenko.

The Verkhovna Rada also has deputies who receive allowances for both honorary titles and academic degrees.

Most of them are representatives of the OPZZH faction, including People's Deputy Taras Kozak (Ph.D. in Economics and Honored Economist of Ukraine), Yurii Pavlenko (Honored Worker of Physical Culture and Sports and Ph.D. in Philosophy), ex-judge of the Constitutional Court, and now people's deputy Vasyl Nimchenko (honored lawyer and Ph.D. in Law).

People's Deputies from the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko (Honored Economist of Ukraine and Ph.D. in Law) and Ruslan Kniazevych (Honored Lawyer and Ph.D. in Law), brother of Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Mykola Stefanchuk (Honored Lawyer and Ph.D. in Law) also have a double allowance. From the "Batkivshchyna" party, Anzhelika Labunska (Honored Lawyer and Ph.D. in Law), Mykola Kucher, Member of the Dovira Deputy Group (Honored Worker of Agriculture and Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences).