UKRAINE: THE AMORALISM OF POLITICS AND THE POLITICAL MORALS OF THE DECADE

By Volodymyr Zviglyanich

The political crisis rocking Ukraine is a system crisis, with deep roots and uncertain prospects. It is the product of Soviet-era stagnation, which progressed smoothly into post-Soviet-era stagnation (known as “stability”) and has now reached its culmination. Ukraine is now paying, belatedly and paradoxically, for ignoring perestroika and glasnost in the Gorbachev era, which, for all its half-measures and inconsistencies, revolutionized Russian society but bypassed Ukraine. One can probably say that the current political crisis in Ukraine has come at least ten years late–perhaps as many as fifteen. Everything happening in Ukraine today–including the Gongadze case–bears the mark of tragicomedy, immaturity and politicking. Yet it is all happening against the background of radical changes in the political atmosphere over the last two or three years. What is the nature of this “apotheosis of stagnation” in Ukraine? How can we expect the crisis to develop? And lastly, what are the lessons to be learnt?

UKRAINIAN QUASI-PERESTROIKA