In new Ukraine, old clan ties propel 'boy' prime minister's rise

Newly-appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman holds flowers at the parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - The rapid rise of a former provincial mayor to become Ukraine's youngest ever prime minister has stirred fears that the very system of clannish oligarchy that the 2014 Maidan street protests were meant to dismantle is still alive and well.

Volodymyr Groysman, 38, took office last week at the bidding of his political mentor, President Petro Poroshenko, whose confectionery empire Roshen is based in Groysman's hometown of Vinnytsia.