Ukraine in Focus

Pre-Election Perspectives of Candidates and Experts

With parliamentary elections approaching on 28 October, Ukraine, her leaders and her people are facing one of the most important junctions in the country’s modern history. The upcoming elections to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, and the way they are organized and conducted will define not only Ukraine’s immediate future but likely shape domestic developments and international perceptions for years to come. A transparent and just electoral process will testify to the resilience of Ukraine’s democratic institutions, while irregularities and fraud at the polls will strengthen views that the country is backsliding on democracy. The latter scenario will also undermine Ukrainian aspirations for closer ties with the EU, delay further the Association Agreement, and make it ever more probable for this important European country to remain in the continent’s “gray zone.” Equally importantly, the composition of the new parliament will determine the future course of Ukraine, and it will hinge on the ability of opposition parties to either form a governing majority or to constitute a united and efficient opposition that is capable of exerting political influence.

Veranstaltungsprogramm

p-20121017.pdf (PDF, 124 kB)