Populism drawing most political support in Ukraine

The Russian-oriented Opposition Bloc and populist Fatherland parties are the most popular among Ukrainians currently, each enjoying 14 percent support, according to a poll reserved by the International Republican Institute. The Petro Poroshenko Bloc enjoys 11 percent support, the reform-oriented Self Reliance party has 9 percent, and the populist Oleh Liashko’s Radical Party has 8 percent. The poll was conducted between May 28 and June 14 among 2,400 respondents and released on July 11. It asked respondents to name the party they would vote for if elections were held this Sunday.

Among Ukrainian politicians, 45 percent of Ukrainians have a positive view of former war prisoner Nadiya Savchenko (Fatherland), 33 percent for Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi (Self Reliance), 26 percent for Odesa Regional Administration Head Mikheil Saakashvili, 25 percent for former Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko (Civic Position) and 23 percent for former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (Fatherland). The results are from the same poll.

Zenon Zawada: It’s better to understand the poll of parties by considering their political course. In which case, the pro-EU populists (Fatherland and Radical parties) would earn 22 percent, the Russian-oriented Opposition Bloc would earn 14 percent, the pro-EU, patronage party (Poroshenko Bloc) would earn 11 percent and the pro-EU reform party (Self Reliance) would earn 9 percent.

The success of the populists lies in their intensive campaign against higher utility rates, which have been skyrocketing amid frozen, pitiful salaries. Utility rate hikes should be accompanied by economic growth, which would raise wages higher. Yet the government has failed to provide any plan for economic growth, whether by means of reducing corruption and attracting foreign investment, or launching national improvement projects, such as road repair or construction works.

The poll was conducted in the first-half of June and a lot has happened since then. A scandal over waste management erupted in Lviv after a fire at a local dump killed four firefighters. Sadovyi’s popularity has taken an enormous hit since then. Meanwhile, the populists (Tymoshenko and Liashko) have conducted a blockade of the parliamentary tribune, protesting utility rate hikes. Their popularity will likely swell further as a result.