Three days ahead of Ukraine’s local elections, IFES hosted a panel featuring Wayne Merry, senior associate at the American Foreign Policy Council, to discuss the results of its survey Transition and Trepidation: Public Opinion in Ukraine. The national survey, the 18th conducted by IFES in Ukraine, gives insight into the current political attitudes of Ukrainians. The data reveals that people in Ukraine generally remain dissatisfied with socio-economic conditions, even if there is slightly greater optimism about the direction in which the country is headed.

At the event, Rakesh Sharma, director of IFES’ F. Clifton White Applied Research Center, presented the findings of the results and compared them to those of previous years. He said that overall, the data shows that economic development was the primary concern for those polled – at times overshadowing democratic rights as a priority. The data collected will continue to be a valuable tool for better understanding the concerns and perceptions of Ukrainians, ranging from socio-economic to political and geographic identity, providing an encompassing illustration of a dynamic country.

Wayne Merry provided some context to the findings by cautioning against the use of a single geographic/Western perspective when assessing the Ukraine polling results. He explained that Ukraine, much like continental Europe, has a tendency to link its perspective (positive or negative) of democracy directly with the economy and standards of living. He used the phrase, “results oriented” when describing this reality, adding that stability may be favored over democracy if economic prosperity is attributed to the former.

Six months into President Yanukovych’s administration and the end of Orange leadership in Ukraine, IFES’ 18th public opinion poll in Ukraine finds that Ukrainians generally remain dissatisfied with socio-economic conditions, even if there is slightly greater optimism about the direction in which the country is headed. The poll finds concerns about economic conditions and corruption similar to that observed under the previous administration, with additional concerns about democratic rights emerging under the current administration.

Please join us for an interesting presentation on the findings from the latest IFES survey and comparative analysis of the evolution of Ukrainian public opinion over the past few years.

Featured Speakers

Wayne Merry
Senior Associate
American Foreign Policy Council

Rakesh Sharma
Director
F. Clifton White Applied Research Center, IFES

Moderator

Michael Svetlik
IFES Vice President for Programs

Please RSVP by October 26, 2010 by email  IZaslavskaya@ifes.org or by registering online.