Viktor Pynzenyk

Viktor Pynzenyk was born on 15 April 1954, in Smolohovytsia, in the westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast (province) of the Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine) to Mykhailo and Mariya Pynzenyk. After completing his secondary education, Pynzenyk studied at the Lviv State University, from which he graduated in 1975 as an economist. He stayed on in the same university until 1979 for the post-graduate work on his dissertation in Economics which he defended in 1980 receiving the degree of Candidate of Science (roughly Ph.D. equivalent). He continued his scientific work in the Moscow State University where he received his Doktor of Science degree in 1989. A year later, Pynzenyk became a professor of economics at his alma mater—the Lviv University.

In 1996, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.{{fact|date=March 2025}}

Pynzenyk was sworn into Ukrainian parliament on 4 January 1992,{{Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the Verkhovna Rada|number=2030-XII

|law=2030-12|name=On the recognition of official duties of the national deputies of Ukraine Pynzenyk V.M. and Zaiyats O.S.|date=1992-01-04}} and soon afterwards became a member of the economic reforms working group. Later that year, he became the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine as well as the Minister of Economy.{{Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the President of Ukraine|number=520/92

|law=520/92|name=On the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine with a commitment to economic reforms, Minister of Economy of Ukraine|date=1992-10-27}} As minister, Pynzenyk introduced the first economic reforms in the newly independent Ukraine, helping transform the country into a market economy.

In March 1992, Pynzenyk was elected to the second convocation of the parliament as part of the "Reforms" faction, serving his mandate until April 1998. As an MP, he participated in the finance and banking work group. From 31 October 1994 until 5 September 1995, he served as the country's First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine,{{Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the President of Ukraine|number=646/94|law=646/94|name=On V. Pynzenyk attaining the status of First Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine|date=1994-10-31}} and from 3 August 1995 to 7 April 1997—as the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Viktor was elected to Verkhovna Rada for the third time in the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary election serving from March 1998 until the next election in 2002. In 2002, Pynzenyk was elected as part of the "Our Ukraine" electoral bloc. Three years later, after the Orange Revolution, Pynzenyk was chosen as the Minister of Economy{{Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the President of Ukraine|number=162/2005|law=162/2005|name=On V. Pynzenyk attaining the status of Minister of Finance of Ukraine|date=2005-04-02}} on 4 February 2005, and served his post until August 2006. Then on 3 November 2007, he became a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the sixth convocation as a member of the Reforms and Order Party, which participated in the elections as part of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.

Viktor Pynzenyk served as the Minister of Finance of Ukraine in the Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Cabinet, elected on 18 December 2007. He offered his resignation on 12 February 2008 because he could not abandon the principles of a balanced budget with a minimum deficit, realistic revenue sources and limits on government borrowing.[http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7950/ Ukrainian Finance Minister Pynzenyk offers resignation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716062352/http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7950/ |date=16 July 2011 }}, Interfax-Ukraine (12 February 2008) The Ukrainian Parliament still has to support this resignation.[http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7974/ Parliament to vote for Pynzenyk's resignation, says Lytvyn] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716062510/http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7974/ |date=16 July 2011 }}, Interfax-Ukraine (12 February 2008) Tymoshenko's reaction to his resignation was: "Not all officials can withstand the challenges of a global economic crisis, not all of them can work under pressure, and respond adequately to challenges. The weakest leave their combat posts and turn to other activities", Tymoshenko also stated: "He was in hospital and was not working for health reasons".[http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7975/ New finance minister to be appointed soon, says Ukrainian PM] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716062417/http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/7975/ |date=16 July 2011 }}, Interfax-Ukraine (12 February 2008) President Viktor Yushchenko's reaction to Pynzenyk's resignation was of a different nature: "It is a pity that such people – professional, honest and devoted to state interests are unable to realize their potential being members of the Government, losing such voice is a great misunderstanding and unprofessional policy of the Government. I am assured that the whole range of negative processes in budgetary policy will follow".[http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-301530.html Finance Minister's resignation is a deed of a man with principles - Yushchenko], UNIAN (18 February 2009) Pynzenyk, in conversation with United States Ambassador to Ukraine John F. Tefft at a meeting on 22 February 2010 showed "frustration at his inability to convince Tymosehnko to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the 2008–2009 Ukrainian financial crisis to reform" (according to Tefft) and called Tymoshenko's decisions "normally guided by ‘adventurous populism,’" which she saw as a tool to "consolidate power in her own hands."[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/91996/ Pynzenyk, ex-finance minister, calls Tymoshenko ‘destructive force’], Kyiv Post (3 December 2010)

On 17 February 2009, the Verkhovna Rada officially dismissed Pynzenyk.[https://archive.today/20130205032137/http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/181032.html Rada Removes Pynzenyk], Ukrainian News Agency (17 February 2009) Pynzenyk was absent from the voting as he was in hospital.[http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/8307/ Rada accepts Finance Minister Pynzenyk's resignation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716062620/http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/8307/ |date=16 July 2011 }}, Interfax-Ukraine (17 February 2009)

Pynzenyk withdrew from the Reforms and Order Party in April 2010.

Pynzenyk was appointed deputy chairman of the supervisory council of UkrSibbank in February 2011.[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_move/detail/96847/ On the move: Viktor Pynzenyk, UkrSibbank], Kyiv Post (10 February 2011)

Pynzenyk returned to national politics as number 7 on the party list of UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko for the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[http://www.kyivpost.com/content/politics/klitschkos-udar-approves-party-ticket.html Klitschko's UDAR approves party ticket], Kyiv Post (1 Aug. 2012)[http://ukrainianweek.com/Politics/60928 You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours], The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012) He was (re-)elected into parliament.{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/11/11/6977259/ Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради], Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)

In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election he was again re-elected into parliament; this time after placing 17th on the electoral list of Petro Poroshenko Bloc.[http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/poroshenko_bloc_to_have_greatest_number_of_seats_in_parliament_327072 Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112000000/http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/poroshenko_bloc_to_have_greatest_number_of_seats_in_parliament_327072 |date=12 November 2014 }} , Ukrinform (8 November 2014)
[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/233404.html People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112000000/http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/233404.html |date=12 November 2014 }}, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/233426.html Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC], Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014){{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2014/09/19/7038339/ Full electoral list of Poroshenko Bloc], Ukrayinska Pravda (19 September 2014)

Despite his career in politics, Viktor Pynzenyk remains a professor at the Lviv University. He has been named an honorary professor of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and the Economics Institute of Ternopil. Additionally, he has been named an "Honored Economist of Ukraine" (as of 2004).{{Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the President of Ukraine|number=438/2004|law=438/2004|name=On V. Pynzenyk attaining the fair status of "Deserved Economist of Ukraine"|date=2004-04-15}}

Viktor Pynzenyk is married to Mariya Romanivna (b. 1969), and they have two children: sons Volodymyr (b. 1993) and Vitaliy (b. 2007). He also has two daughters from the previous marriage Olga (b. 1981) and Yulia (b. 1989). Pynzenyk's hobbies include tourism, an interest in music, as well as playing the preferans game. His income declaration for 2006 constituted 265,200 hryvnias ($53,000).{{cite news|url=http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/89122.html|title=Pynzenyk Declares UAH 265,200 Income For 2006|work=Ukrainian News|date=18 December 2007|access-date=2007-12-20}} He drives a Toyota RAV4 and a Toyota 4Runner.

• Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://pynzenyk.com.ua/ Official website] {{in lang|uk}}
• {{cite web|url=http://diaspora.ukrinform.com/pynzenyk.shtml|title=Pynzenyk Viktor Mykhailovych|work=Yedyna-Ukrayina|language=uk}}

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{{succession box |title=Minister of Finance of Ukraine|before=Mykola Azarov|after=Ihor Umansky {{small|{{small|(Acting)}}}}|years=2007–2009}}

{{succession box |title=First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine|before=Yevhen Marchuk|after=Pavlo Lazarenko|years=1994–1995}}

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{{succession box |title={{nowrap|Leader of the Reforms and Order Party}}|before=None|after=Serhiy Sobolev|years=1997–2010}}

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{{Economics ministers of Ukraine}}

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Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Zakarpattia Oblast

Category:20th-century Ukrainian economists

Category:Reforms and Order Party politicians

Category:Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform politicians

Category:Economy ministers of Ukraine

Category:Finance ministers of Ukraine

Category:Vice prime ministers of Ukraine

Category:First vice prime ministers of Ukraine

Category:Petro Poroshenko Bloc politicians

Category:First convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Second convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Third convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Fourth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Sixth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Seventh convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:Eighth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada

Category:21st-century Ukrainian economists

Category:Government of Yulia Tymoshenko