Ukrainian Presidential Candidate Volodymyr Zelensky: A Role Comes to Real Life

The exit poll results in the second round of the presidential election in Ukraine were not beyond the expectations of observers. Candidate Volodymyr Zelensky won an overwhelming victory over incumbent President Petro Poroshenko. The selection of a candidate who was considered to lack political experience and had a different campaign style showed that Ukrainians believed that Zelensky was the embodiment of change and they hoped that he could bring a “new wind” to a country that was drowning in difficulties.

Candidate Volodymyr Zelensky from theater to politics. Photo: Getty

Success thanks to the role of a lifetime

The overwhelming number of votes in the preliminary vote count in Ukraine shows that Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky won an overwhelming victory with more than 73%, while the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko only won more than 25%. Before the presidential election, the Ukrainian people only knew Volodymyr Zelensky as a comedian and a filmmaker of the Ukrainian Kvartal company. Among thousands of roles, the transformation into the character of Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko in the work "Servant of the People" became the role of a lifetime for Zelensky. In this work, he played the role of a poor teacher who suddenly became the President of Ukraine after making strong and resolute statements against rampant corruption. The comedy has given Zelensky a big advantage in the Ukrainian presidential election race as he continues to bring "drama" into "life" with a clear campaign line, for the goal of fighting corruption and bringing the country's economy up after years of crisis.

Initially, Zelensky’s support was largely seen as a protest vote, a vote of discontent with the incumbent government. However, as time went on, the candidate’s uniqueness became more convincing to voters. It is no surprise that an unconventional candidate ran an unconventional campaign. He held only a few large rallies and rarely gave interviews to the press. Instead, he mostly toured the country with comedy skits that carried his campaign message. He used social media to connect directly with voters and create his own “stage.”

Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife. Photo: Sputnik

Ultimately, the differences convinced the majority of Ukrainian voters who were looking for real change in politics. It can be said that after nearly 30 years of holding presidential elections, the candidates “running” often come from the political or economic elite, either pro-Russian or pro-Western. However, Ukraine remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. Five years have passed since the “Maidan revolution” that overthrew the pro-Russian government and completely shifted to a pro-Western orientation, and Ukraine is not as good as people expected. Instead, the country faces a serious armed conflict in the East, while corruption remains one of the most pressing problems...

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2018 was about 2,820 USD/person, compared to the world average of 11,730 and in developed countries of 48,970 USD/person. Economic difficulties have led to a decline in people's living standards and caused social turmoil...

Therefore, the appearance of a candidate considered to be a “political outsider” is the choice of voters in this country. The majority of voters supporting Zelensky is a testament to the deep disappointment of Ukrainian voters with the current political system. And they expect Zelensky to “breathe a new wind” into the political arena, leading Ukraine out of both political and economic deadlocks.

No small challenge

As a country dependent on international aid, with relations with Russia in disarray, and with the “Western dream” not making progress, Ukraine’s new president will face a mountain of challenges to meet the expectations of his people. First is the war with separatists in the East of the country.

Ukrainian voters hope the new president will end the five-year war with separatists in the east. The conflict has claimed some 13,000 lives since 2014 and has taken a heavy toll on Ukraine’s economy and society. Analysts believe that, if elected, Mr. Zelensky could use his “outsider” status to reach a political agreement with the separatists.

Candidate Volodymyr Zelensky in front of supporters. Photo: The Times

The second challenge is a stagnant economy. After the events of 2014, the Ukrainian government had to rely on a $17.5 billion aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, this money is only a temporary measure to keep the country from falling into the depths of crisis. From 2019 to 2022, Ukraine will have to repay this large debt in the context of slowing economic growth. "Where will the money come from to pay the debt?" is the big question that the new President of Ukraine will have to answer when taking office.

Internally, if elected, Mr. Zelensky will also have to demonstrate his ability to negotiate with political forces on the political scene to ensure the reforms are passed. He is currently not affiliated with any party and may face great resistance in the Parliament, where Mr. Poroshenko's faction holds the most seats. The Ukrainian parliamentary election is scheduled to take place in October this year. And that will be an important "gate" to assess the political path of the new President.

Incumbent President Petro Poroshenko conceded defeat. Photo: Reuters.

In addition to domestic affairs, foreign policy is also a difficult issue for the new President of Ukraine. In fact, whether pro-Russian or pro-Western, previous Kiev governments have suffered the consequences of their “attraction” policies from the outside. So far, apart from the commitment to maintain the pro-Western direction applied since 2014, the policy that candidate Zelensky is implementing is still very vague and may be beyond the expectations of Western countries.

According to sources, Mr. Zelensky has not yet outlined any clear policies, beyond selecting a team of advisers that includes a group of reform-minded technocrats, leading some critics to question how he will steer the country out of its current challenges. Ukrainians have placed their trust in Zelensky, hoping for change in Ukraine. The question now is how the winner will turn those expectations into reality, as the “drama” and “life” of Zelensky himself has shown.