Perspectief 2019-44

Perspectief 98 MH17 – the Ukrainian Context legitimacy. However, soon after elected, he demonstrated authoritarian style of govern- ance. He dramatically reduced civil freedoms and enhanced corruption. In his foreign politics, he aligned with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. 2. Maidan When in November 2013 Yanukovych deliberately rejected to sign an Association agree- ment with the European Union, the people of Ukraine, especially the educated middle class, considered this as an existential threat to the Ukrainian democracy. They began pro- testing, and their protests grew to a second Ukrainian revolution. Their main venue became the central square of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, called the Maidan of Independence, or simply Maidan. The revolution became known as Maidan. It was also called Euromaidan, because people gathered for the sake of European values and Europe-oriented Ukrainian policies. Later on, the protests at the Maidan in Kyiv were branded as the “Revolution of dignity.” The protests lasted almost all winter 2013-14. Dozens of thousand people gathered at the Maidan every day, day and night. Sometimes the number of protesters approached one million. Riot police tried to disperse the crowd. For this purpose the police used tear gas, water guns, rubber bullets, and other means. Eventually they began shooting people with military ammunition. As a result, over one hundred protesters were killed. They became known as the “heavenly hundred.” Over two thousand protesters were wounded. Eventu- ally President Yanukovych had to flee the country and found refuge in Russia. On February 22, 2014, the Ukrainian Parliament elected a new speaker, Oleksandr Turchynov, who in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution next day became the acting President of Ukraine. He remained in this capacity until May 25, 2014, when a new Presi- dent of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, was elected. On October 26, 2014, snap elections brought to the Verkhovna Rada new parties. A majority of them represented the Maidan. Not a single nationalist party was able to pass the threshold to receive benches in the Parliament.

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