This is not the Fight Club
Redesigning EU through the protest in Kiev, Ukraine
Is this the dawn of a new era? Is there still someone ready to fight for the European Union? A bit out of fashion nowadays, but hundreds of thousands people took to the streets of Kiev in Ukraine to be part of Europe. It’s a clear warning signal. Hundreds of thousands young protesters. Their frustration has overflown Maidan, Independence Square. They ask for a closer cooperation and a trade pact with the European Union.
Brussels should think carefully about the future of the Union. New basis should be discussed soon in a wider and forward-looking perspective. The German-centric austerity is killing hope and economic growth among the Union. At the moment there are only illusory winners: German export sales and UK short-sighted, anachronistic political isolation. But if the weakest European countries sink, the whole Union sinks, Germany included. Neither UK can consider itself safe. And this is not science fiction, it’s the established fact. Globalization kills small players. One single country all alone can’t strive against giants like US, China, Brazil, India.
Adding fuel to the flames of euro-skeptical drives might give a temporary, small victory to politicians, but will only nurture nationalism, fascism, xenophobia, and all those movements hostile to EU and to a forefront perspective.
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE IN KIEV, UKRAINE -BY OKSANA LOMAGA
What we all saw in Ukraine was the biggest protest since the 2004 Orange Revolution.
Independence Square was full of young people protesting against the government’s decision to back away from a EU trade deal, in favor of closer relations with Russia. Police and special forces, Berkut, clashed pro-EU demonstrators. But the violent special forces’ reaction did not discourage people from protesting and taking to the streets again because they strongly and firmly want to fight for their freedom. The freedom of choice, freedom to choose their commercial relations, freedom of choosing not to be a satellite country, totally bond to Russia’s will. The freedom to choose their path, their economic policies, their industrial strategies, their trading partnerships and relations.
The Ukrainian battle for freedom and democracy goes on, drawing the international attention. Day after day, the peaceful but firm protest thronging Independence Square is gaining always more solidarity and general consent around the world.
Social media and internet have also been smartly used by young Ukrainians as a platform to make their voices loudly heard globally, through the hashtag #euromaidan, or live streaming from Independence Square by HromadskeTV ONLINE.
Thousands protesters were standing outside the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, calling for the resignation of the premier Mikola Azarov. The Parliament rejected the resignation: the opposition had only 186 votes, 40 votes less than the requested quorum.
KIEV, UKRAINE -BY DIMA FROLOV
But people flood the streets of Kiev again. They keep on protesting. They won’t stop what they call their revolution.
Violence, hard banning, beatings, pro-government demonstrators (a few indeed), will not stop the aspiration of a country. A young country that could give a remarkable nourishment to an aged continent like Europe. There are not only great and smart programmers in Ukraine, perhaps among the best, but for sure among the cheapest in the world. Ukraine is also the so called “granary of Europe”: more than 3.1 million tonnes of wheat exports last September, 1.6 million tonnes of barley, and 573.000 tonnes of maize exports. Its fertile black soil is perfect for agriculture. And agriculture is crucial for a sustainable future. Heavy industry is still strong. Though Ukraine has reserves of 1.1 trillion cubic meters, is ranked 24th among countries with proved reserves of natural gas, and its total gas reserves have been estimated at 5.4 trillion cubic meters, its dependence on Russia for energy supplies (oil and gas), is still extremely strong. Just few days ago Gazprom announced an agreement with Ukrainian Naftogaz: all gas import payments will be postponed to next spring. And that’s music to Yanukovych’s ears.
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE IN KIEV, UKRAINE -BY OKSANA LOMAGA
But why the domestic production peaked only in 1975 at 68.1 billion cubic meters and since then it declined stabilizing in recent years at around 20 billion cubic meters? Who’s going to take advantage?
The lack of significant structural reform and fight against corruption, make the rest and turn Ukrainian economy into being extremely vulnerable to any external shock.
Ukrainian government is making great effort to discourage private foreign investments, to drive foreign companies and international investors off.
More ore less half of Ukrainian debt is denominated in foreign currencies, mostly US dollars. Exports are less than imports and the country’s finances are under pressure and seek for a relieve. But can Ukraine survive without foreign cash and investments?
China interests are on the ground too, and they’re different from those of the Russians. Agricultural projects and the replacing of the consumption of natural gas with coal are the main projects the Chinese are financing. Sevastopol harbor is also a strategic naval joint, a faster way to reach European markets, a bridge that allows Chinese goods and products to easily access Europe.
So there’s a double match that still has to be played between Russia and China. EU just watches, instead of taking part in the game.
63-year-old president Viktor Yanukovych runs Ukraine. Apparently he chose to be a satellite state, under the Russian influence, but he also promises no violence against the protesters, who will stay in the streets until he resigns and calls for earlier elections.
KIEV, UKRAINE -BY DIMA FROLOV
In this political turmoil is there an opposition ready to run the country? The opposition parties appear to be divided into antithetic factions, extremely fragmented, joined together at the moment only to fight against Yanukovych. And there’s more, the fragmented group of the opposition suffers the lack of leadership, the lack of a galvanizing figure like Yulia Tymoshenko in 2004.
Where does heavyweight boxing champion and Udar Party leader, Vitaly Klitschko, want to take the country? Udar Party focuses only on popular topics: fight against corruption, inequality and poverty. Though pro-European can a populist movement be able to rule Ukraine? And what about Arseniy Yatsenyuk, former Foreign Minister of Ukraine in 2007 and Fatherland Party leader? Is Yatsenyuk, the leader of the second opposition party, able to make Ukraine go towards modernity and freedom? And where does Oleg Tyagnibok, Svoboda Party leader, want to drive the country supported by his nationalist and extreme right wing values?
OPPOSITION LEADERS IN KIEV, UKRAINE -BY DIMA FROLOV
Except their pro-EU perspective there’s only one common ground, only one single element that keeps the three main opposition parties together: all of them want to get rid of Yanukovych.
Despite its weakness and internal conflicts, can the European Union do without Ukraine?
KIEV, UKRAINE -BY DIMA FROLOV
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