Main focus of Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ukrainian government wins unfair election

According to preliminary results Yanukovych's Party of Regions obtained around 32 percent of the vote. (© AP/dapd)

President Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions won the parliamentary election held on Sunday by a surprisingly wide margin. Electoral observers have called the election unfree and unfair. Commentators say the EU should nonetheless press ahead with the Association Agreement with Ukraine because it would be wrong to turn its back on the country now.

EU should not give up on Ukraine

Despite the criticism of election observers the EU should not abandon hope in democratic reform in Ukraine or turn their backs on the country, the liberal Financial Times Deutschland advises: "What would that gain? If Europe turns its back on Ukraine, the country will have no choice but to look to Russia. That would not only be a questionable move in terms of the progress of democracy, but also for economic and geopolitical considerations. For all the criticism that has been made of the elections, they were nevertheless more democratic than in neighbouring countries. The electoral observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe know that. If their verdict was far more severe than for instance in Russia's case, it's because they know full well how much it hurts President Viktor Yanukovych - and could therefore spur him to make improvements. No one expects that from Vladimir Putin in Moscow any more." (30/10/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » EU neighbourhood policy, » Elections, » Ukraine, » Europe

Hold to Association Agreement at all costs

Despite criticism by electoral observers the European Union must keep its eyes firmly fixed on integrating Ukraine into the West writes Michał Szczerba, one of four Polish electoral observers from the OSCE, in a commentary for the conservative news portal Wprost Online: "A negative assessment of the elections by the international community could result in the association and free trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU not being signed after all. But if Ukraine is rebuffed and isolated as 'inchoate' it would only push it into the arms of Russia. Indeed, the Kremlin has already offered Ukraine a place in the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Community. ... That makes it all the more urgent to encourage our partners [in the EU] to press ahead with European enlargement. An Association Agreement would be just the thing to oblige the Ukrainian government to finally implement reforms in key areas of policy and the economy." (30/10/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Elections, » Ukraine, » Europe
All available articles from » Michał Szczerba

Klitschko should battle on

The newly founded opposition party Udar ("blow") led by boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko obtained around 13 percent of the vote in the Ukrainian parliamentary elections, coming in fourth and falling behind the target it had set itself. But Klitschko should not let the hesitance of the voters discourage him, the left-liberal daily Der Standard writes: "It's a shame that newcomer Vitali Klitschko is being made to feel the effects of his countrymen's fear of political change. Those who wanted to express their disgruntlement with the political establishment voted for the radical nationalist 'Freedom' party. Nonetheless, it would be premature for Klitschko to turn his back on politics after this disappointment. Ukraine needs a liberal party that stands for democratic values. For their part the Liberals need new, fresh faces that have not discredited themselves with power games and plotting in the past." (30/10/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Ukraine
All available articles from » André Ballin

Yanukovych consolidates his legitimacy

The Party of Regions under President Viktor Yanukovych has emerged the winner of Ukraine's parliamentary elections. The conservative daily Magyar Nemzet lauds Yanukovych for having consolidated his party's power and improved his own chances in the 2015 race for the presidency: "Yanukovych now has excellent chances of being re-elected as head of state. Not only has he fortified his position vis-à-vis the opposition, but also as regards the oligarchs. ... Nevertheless the true winner of the parliamentary elections is not Yanukovich but the Ukrainian democracy. Ukraine's democratic consolidation is not the least a sign that power relations in the country are no longer challenged by any faction. And the biggest success for Yanukovych himself lies in his strengthening his own political legitimacy." (30/10/2012)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Ukraine
All available articles from » Gábor Stier

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