It is done. What used to be unthinkable became reality: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a popular actor and comedian, was elected president of Ukraine.
His swift and unusual campaign will go down in history — and probably, in marketing textbooks as well. It can be liked or disliked but one can’t deny its effectiveness.
Zelenskiy won the election in a landslide, nailing the biggest winning margin in the history of presidential elections in Ukraine, by nearly 50 percentage points. He also won across the country, although he was more supported in the east. He won everywhere except for Lviv Oblast and some locations in Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts.
In theory, it means Zelenskiy was elected the president of the whole country, and the disgraceful “east against west” polarization that started during the 2004 presidential election finally ended.
In practice, however, the election still brought polarization. This time, it isn’t based on the “east vs. west” paradigm, but is rather a leftover — or a hangover — of the toxic presidential campaign.
In the presidential campaign, we saw very little discussion of policies. Instead, we saw a spectacular show and, unfortunately, a lot of bashing of the other candidate’s supporters. It is one thing when a candidate is accused of incompetence or corruption. It’s a different thing when a candidate’s supporters are called, for months, empty-headed for supporting who they support.
Anyone sincerely believing in any candidate deserves their position to be respected. Learning about candidates, getting involved, voting, taking active participation in the democratic process deserves respect.
This post-election hangover will end with inauguration within several weeks.
Zelenskiy was elected by 73 percent of all who voted — that’s 13.5 million Ukrainians. Out of respect for their choice, the new president needs to be given fair treatment. That includes the benefit of the trust.
He also needs to be held accountable for his actions. We, along with all Ukrainian journalists, will make sure he is.
