Reporter: Ukraine's downward spiral
137 views · Published 19 November 2012 · 4:28 · Indexed 21 October 2026
Channel: European Parliament · 2012 · News & Politics
The young democracy in Ukraine is running out of steam. Numerous irregularities have tarnished the legislative elections. Key opposition leaders remain in prison and civil rights are clearly going backwards. The latest example is a draft law aiming to silence homosexuals. Being gay in Ukraine means leading a secret life, as Bogdan knows. At 17, he had to leave his home town. Those openly displaying their sexual orientation risk facing social rejection. If you say openly that you are gay you risk losing your friends and your job. And if you live in a small town, it just brings your life to nothing because you're going to be persecuted all the time and you will be excluded from society. It's really hard. Bogdan wants to break this cycle. He belongs to an association fighting for rights that are under threat of deteriorating even further. During a first reading, the Ukrainian Parliament approved a draft law that intends to ban all forms of 'homosexual propaganda'. It forbids the organisation of meetings. It forbids any positive information about gays and lesbians. And so if someone wants to share this kind of information, talk in a positive light about gays in a interview, for example, for our interview, we could get five years in prison. This law's future now depends on the decisions of the recently elected parliament. But of all the political forces represented, only one has openly opposed the law. Ukraine therefore has a long way to go before it manages to become a constitutional state to European standards. Ukraine held elections on 28 October under close surveillance from European observers. Their verdict left it crystal clear that these elections have meant a step backwards for democracy. Citizens could vote freely but the campaign was plagued with irregularities. To that must be added the forced absence of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko who couldn't compete as she was in prison. My mother is very concerned and that is why she is sounding the alarm that these elections can't be viewed as fair. They are illegitimate and she's asking the observers to keep their position because their position is clear. They are already very critical. The trial of Yulia Tymoshenko has been described as politically motivated by the European authorities who cite the pressing need to reform the Ukrainian legal system. The lack of judicial independence is the main problem, as is corruption. Obviously corruption is a big problem for Ukraine, for any system, and we can particularly see that in the criminal justice system it is a big problem. It's widespread, it's everywhere. The last year has been a difficult one for EU-Ukraine relations. The signing of the Association Agreement remains on hold, pending concrete action. Brussels is asking for more democracy, less corruption and reform of the judicial system. I think that in all the matters relating to human rights standards, standards of equal treatment and freedom, Ukraine should seek solutions that would bring it closer to Europe. For Bogdan, as for so many other groups, pressure from the international community is the last hope of Ukraine being able to respect citizens' rights. EuroparlTV video ID: 9bfc1712-283c-44a7-891c-a10a011f539a
