Publication

This commentary discusses public opinion in the Ukraine ahead of the 2012 parliamentary election. The author argues that a clear lack of credibility for politicians on either side of the political spectrum, coupled with an almost universal preoccupation with the bare necessities of life, has shifted the political processes in Ukraine further down the agenda for the majority of Ukrainians. He assumes that there will be little public scrutiny of the parliamentary election. However, he warns that there could be a series of protests after the elections, when the already difficult economic situation is further exacerbated by a predicted rise in the price of gas for Ukrainian households and a possible move to devalue the Ukrainian hryvnia.