Timoshenko’s Speech in the Maidan

As the resident authority on Ukraine, I’m happy to answer any questions people have on the subject.

Reader Stille asks about Yulia Timoshenko’s speech. Timoshenko is a Ukrainian politician who was jailed by the corrupt president Yanukovich. She was very popular as a politician and he feared her popularity. In jail, she was denied medical care, and as a result, has been incapacitated.

Timoshenko was let out of jail two days ago. She can’t walk, so she was speaking out of a wheel-chair. I sympathize with Timoshenko and am prepared to make huge allowances to her fragile mental and physical state after what she underwent in jail and what amounts to torture. And you know that I do not use such words lightly.

However, the speech she made in front of the protesters in the Maidan was a disaster. This speech has effectively buried her chances to win the presidency of the country. Which is very sad since she is the only politician strong and charismatic enough to play that role at the moment.

The biggest mistake Yulia made was yelling (in a very emotional and, as much as I hate to say it, hysterical voice), “Protesters! You don’t have the right to leave the Maidan!” The problem with this statement is that the people have been protesting precisely because they want to defend the right to decide to come out into the Maidan or leave it when they want to. They don’t want to swap one politician who dictates their right to gather or not gather peacefully for more of the same. As we say in Russian, “these are the same testicles but in profile.”

Ukrainians are not as opposed to public displays of emotion as Russians culturally are. We are known for going from laughter to tears and back in a highly charged, dramatic manner. As I mentioned before, when I go out for dinner with my family, waiters keep asking us if we are OK because our discussions of the weather sound like a quarrel. However, even with all that, Timoshenko sounded way too emotional even for the drama-queenish Ukrainians (of whom I am obviously one.) Even for me, her speech was too much. And I’m the “I hate the vile freakazoids” person.

There is still time for Timoshenko to get in a better physical and emotional shape but, for now, the general reaction to her speech in Ukraine is that of deep disappointment (this is confirmed by my Ukrainian colleague, the political scientist.)

I’m running to my book club but I will definitely answer the rest of the questions after that. Thank you for asking, people. Your questions are very intelligent and important.