No Ukrainian political party draws significant support, poll reveals

The Ukrainian political arena has been reduced to a near-blank slate with no political party holding a dominant position, according to a poll conducted by the Razumkov Center and Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Fund between Dec. 16 and 20. In all, seven parties would qualify if parliamentary elections were held in the nearest future.

Of those respondents willing to vote in elections, 11% said they would cast their vote for the populist Fatherland party, 9.9% for the patronage party Petro Poroshenko Bloc, 9.9% for the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc, 7.8% of the populist Radical Party, 7.6% for the populist-reform Self-Reliance party, 5.7% for the populist For Life party and 5.4% for the reform-oriented Civic Position party. 

If presidential elections were held soon, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko would earn 11.9% of votes, former Prime Minister and political prisoner Yulia Tymoshenko of the Fatherland party would earn 11.1% and pro-Russian leader Yuriy Boyko of the Opposition Bloc would earn 8.4%. The poll involved 2,018 respondents.

Zenon Zawada: These poll numbers should be a cause of great concern not only for the government, but for the international community as a whole. The Poroshenko administration has failed miserably in fulfilling its minimal task, which is forming a government policy that is supported by at least some sizable portion (at least a third) of the Ukrainian public. Such a task is particularly important in a time of war, and even under such conditions the government doesn’t have the public’s trust.

Such weakness in public support for the Ukrainian government is a threat not only to national security, but the security of eastern Europe as a whole. Russian-backed forces continue to wage war in the Donbas region, recently intensifying attacks to their highest levels in the last five months. And the threat of a military invasion remains (though it’s not likely, in our view). Without the public’s confidence and support, the Poroshenko administration will be incapable of dealing with a major security threat if it emerges.