Maria Zolkina

Despite the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, early presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine were held in accordance with the demands of Euromaidan (Revolution of Dignity). Candidates from the ousted president Yanukovych’s party also participated although its support dropped dramatically from 30% to 9.5%. Both the far left and the far right did not meet the 5% voter threshold. The new elections produced an overwhelming pro-European majority. The challenges remain substantial, as the president and the new government need to conduct unpopular reforms in the context of a war-time economy.