Around Russia

Year of Yanukovych

February 25, 2011 Inna Bulkina

When a year ago, on February 25, the inauguration ceremony took place and Viktor Yanukovych received an official certificate of the President of Ukraine, the media immediately reported the first of his “incident” in a new quality: Yanukovych sent a certificate in his pocket, instead of putting it on a specially prepared red pillow. Instinct was conflicting with the ritual, and instinct won.

Everything that followed later was only a continuation of this plot: the “rhetorical” Yanukovych carefully followed the “democratic rituals”, the “practical” Yanukovych led instinct. The “rhetorical” Yanukovych “adhered to a democratic course”, went to Brussels and promised to carry out reforms. “Practical” Yanukovych built a “hard vertical”, canceled the “political form”, “built” the parliament and cleaned up the National Bank to his hands (literally). The “rhetorical” Yanukovych, like Kuchma, declared a “multi -vector” foreign policy, pleasing to Europe and appealing to Russia. “Practical” Yanukovych annoyed both of them. The Europeans were worried that Ukraine confidently drifting towards “sovereign democracy”, Russia did not suit the pace of integration, traditional half -heartedness and intransigence in everything related to “Naftogaz”. Finally, it’s no secret: the Russian business, under the current Ukrainian authorities, feels much uncomfortable.

Today, Yanukovych is predictably compared with Yushchenko. They are surprisingly similar - both stubborn and lazy: such are difficult to convince of anything, but they are easy to manipulate. Yanukovych does not have a team, he has a “environment”, as “informed observers” say. Yanukovych is by no means a “puppet of Moscow”, Taras Chornovil, Yanukovych - “Environment Marionate”.

But there is still a difference: on the anniversary of his presidency, Yanukovych will conduct a three -hour teleconference “Conversation with the country”. Yushchenko usually spoke slowly and thoroughly, in three hours he managed to answer a maximum of 10 questions, and the last Internet conference happened was bad. Questions were selected on the network by vote, and the leaders were broken out: how much do you need to pay so that you, together with the ministers and deputies, will leave the country forever? The “conference” was canceled, Yushchenko considered this story “provocation”. Yanukovych himself and Yanukovych himself, one must think, laughed in a fist over the “Lokhov Games” into democracy. No, this time “everything will be Donbass”: no vote, questions are sent in closed mode, the program has been worked out, everything is under control. The general rehearsal is scheduled for February 24. Yanukovych plans to answer 40-60 “correct” questions. Clearly, clearly, without surprises. There should be no puncture, in such situations the “environment” works as a “team”.

Against the backdrop of a weak verbose President Yushchenko (truly a “rhetorical president”), Yanukovych wants to look like the president strong and energetic, laconic and “practical”. And instead of the “team of reformers” he has only “environment” with huge appetites and unbalanced interests. Let the international ratings of Ukraine and internal ratings of the popularity of the president and his party fall. When the turn of the elections comes, the “environment” will again become a “team” and will carry out everything “as it should”, without these “Lokhov games”. And even if most “informed observers”, summing up the results of the “Yanukovych year”, state the “Dream Dream” and the non -fulfillment of promises. Yanukovych received well -deserved praise from the most stable and “long -term” Ukrainian president. Leonid Kuchma predictably noted the “stability of the situation” as the merit of Yanukovych and did not fail to recall that in 2004, before his departure, Ukraine was the “development leader among post-socialist countries”, and by 2009 he became an outsider. Kuchma expressed the hope that Yanukovych would be able to “catch up” and bring Ukraine to the level at which ... Kuchma left it.

Photos of RIA Novosti