A voice to hope

Another ‘Europeanist Sunday’ in Kiev, the fourth since – under Moscow’s pressure – the government announced the suspension of the Association Agreement with the EU. In Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the Independence Square in the heart of the Ukrainian capital, some 200 thousand pro-EU protestors took the streets with the support of an exceptional guest: Republican Senator John McCain, who flew over to bring the solidarity of the United States. Such a mobilization with Ukrainian flags and European banners was nowhere to be seen in Ukraine for the past nine years, i.e. since Maidan square became the symbol of the pro-Western Orange Revolution. At the same time, Russia’s President Putin, Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov took part in a few days’ meeting in Moscow at the end of which Russia is set to grant Kiev 15 billion dollars invested in government securities, taken from its national welfare fund. Andriy Zelinskij, a young Jesuit who is completing his PhD in Political Sciencies at the national “Kyiv-Mohyla Academia” lives in Kiev. He was among the protestors. Maria Chiara Biagioni interviewed him for Sir Europe.Four weeks of protests, but Europeans find it hard to understand such a strong passion for Europe. What brings Ukrainian people to take the streets? “It’s hope. That’s what Ukrainians expect from Europe: hope. It’s hard to spend four weeks in the streets protesting with below-zero temperatures. It only happens because people feel that it’s worthwhile to fight for hope. It’s significant that youths and students, the first ones to march in Maidan Square, sparked off the demonstrations. They were the first ones to react because the matter at stake is the creation of a new future.” What is Ukraine’s current economic and social situation? “It’s a complex problem. The country fell victim of a set of unsolved questions. First of all, the miserable condition of our economy is at risk. There is no money and on November 20 the Prime Minister met with a delegation of the International Monetary Fund which refused to grant a much needed loan, thereby obliging the government to seek the funds elsewhere.” And that’s when Russia entered the picture. “The difficult economic situation, the black hole in the country’s finances, the refusal of a loan by the IMF… all of these factors prompted a move towards Russia. Ukraine’s economy largely depends on Russian markets, which is an aspect of the problem. Half of our economic elite has a market in Russia. And the Russia of president Vladmir Putin has an interest also in Ukraine. The country is thus a bone of contention in the geopolitical dynamics between Russia and the European Union, supported by the United States.”Would Ukraine be capable of entering the European market? “As we understand it, euro-integration implies the modernization of our economy. This would be very important for the Country. In fact, for the past 22 years, i.e., since Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet regime, the country’s economy has been experiencing a phase of stagnation. The political powers at the government over the past years failed to make the necessary reforms for fear of loosing the support of their constituency. And the European Union has made it clear: concrete economic reforms are necessary. If we fail to put them into action we will wither in a stagnating situation with no prospect of development.” How did this situation impact the population? “Steps towards the European Union had been promised until suddenly and unexpectedly after two days the government changed the course of international politics. People perceived this change as a stolen dream, as a blow on democracy. If to this is added corruption, need for economic modernization, yearning of a future, then it becomes clear why people have taken the streets.”What do you think will happen now?  “Protestors are asking for the resignation of the President of the Republic and of the government in force. They call for new elections, for a new parliament and president. But it’s hard to imagine how all of this could actually happen. However, there has been a success: Maidan Square made it clear that from now on no government will be able to draw close to the Russian area without taking into account European integration. That challenge is giving an institutional shape to the protests.” Who will be the political voice of the Maidan youths? “That’s the big question that the population that took to the streets have raised over the past hours. There is a lack of a common vision and of leadership.”