Ukraine has just undertaken the first round of voting in their presidential election. Six months ago, Ukrainians thought they would have been heading into round two with current president Petro Poroshenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. But a lot can happen over six months and the results from Sunday night led to comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy winning the first round with just over 30% of the vote. Zelenskiy, whose claim to fame is playing the President of Ukraine on a political comedy show, is now looking to turning his fictional role into a real one by getting elected on 21 April. But beyond this, who is Zelenskiy and what does he want for Ukraine?
Who is Volodymyr Zelenskiy?
Aged 41, Zelenskiy is a screenwriter, actor and director. He was born in the former Soviet Union to Jewish parents. He studied law at the Kyiv National Economic University but decided not to work in the legal field, instead choosing comedy.
Zelenskiy’s interests in comedy started when he was 17, joining a local comedy team. He soon joined a national Ukrainian team and won his first national title in 1997. This led to the establishment of Kvartal 95 which now produces television shows. He became a household name for the Love in the Big City film franchise and other romance and comedy movies.
In an ironic twist, Zelenskiy became the lead in the popular TV series Servant of the People. He plays a high school history teacher who wins the presidential election after a video of him criticising government corruption goes viral online. He has used the TV show to boost his image and further his own policies.
Is he only political on screen or in real life?
Zelenskiy may have played the President on television, but his political interests aren’t confined to the small screen. Zelenskiy has been an ardent critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Army. He has actively spoken in support of the 2013-14 Euromaidan movement (which involved protests against the pro-Russian Ukrainian Government) and donated funds to the Ukrainian Army. He seeks to end the war with Russia and directly negotiate.
Although an ardent supporter of Ukraine during conflicts with Russia, he criticised the Ukrainian Government’s ban on Russian artists and other cultural works in Ukraine. This also led to the ban on his own film, Love in the Big City 2, which was predominantly in Russian like most of his other films.
Presidential campaign
People associated with the production company Kvartal 95 established the political party Servant of the People, inspired by the TV show of the same name which stars Zelenskiy. Yet, it was not till New Year’s Eve 2018 that he announced his candidacy for the Presidency.
Zelenskiy has focused on corruption in Ukrainian politics. He has sought for legislative and constitutional amendments on corruption, including the removal of presidential immunity, parliamentary immunity and to overhaul the judicial system. He also wants to improve democratic standards by implementing mechanisms for referenda as his first priority. With this, the pro-European Zelenskiy seeks to propose referenda on Ukraine joining the EU and NATO by 2024.
However, Zelenskiy has also been criticised for being the puppet of Igor Kolomoisky, owner of the TV network Servant of the People has aired on. Zelenskiy has tried to deny allegations, claiming that his campaign is funded by his TV production company and internet crowdfunding. Yet, this has not stopped rumours, with some even suggesting his campaign is a Zionist plot due to both Zelenskiy and Kolomoisky being Jewish.
He also faces an uphill battle as a candidate with no political experience. This has been a major attacking point for his rivals. However, he has tried to use this to garner vote, making himself out to be different from the corrupt politics Ukraine has had to deal with over the preceding decades.
Can he win? Looking to Round Two
Zelenskiy did exceed expectations, garnering approximately 30% of the vote to Poroshenko’s roughly 16% and Tymoshenko’s 13.5%. This means he and Poroshenko move on to the second round, with the remaining candidates eliminated. Six months ago, he was not even a candidate but quickly accelerated in the polls to win the first round. Now moving to round two, can he get the majority, or will Poroshenko be returned for a second term?
Current polls do not have indicate a clear winner, with much of the vote undecided. In a poll between Zelenskiy and Poroshenko in late-February, Zelenskiy got 42% of the vote to Poroshenko’s 18%. This is heavily skewed as 40% of the voters hadn’t indicated a preference. While this puts Zelenskiy in a good position, pundits will have to see how the eliminated candidates direct their voters. Only time will tell if this actor will go from on-screen politics to the real deal.
