Is Yulia Tymoshenko The Next President Of Ukraine?

Leader of opposition Batkivshchyna party and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko attends an interview with Reuters in Kiev, Ukraine February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Spiegel Online: Ukrainian Presidential Election - Yulia Tymoshenko Attempts a Comeback

Yulia Tymoshenko was once Europe's best-known political prisoner. Now, five years after the revolution in Ukraine, she is hoping to win the country's presidential election. Is she too rooted in the old system to win?

Yulia Tymoshenko scares people, and she knows it. In early February, the Ukrainian politician spoke to European business representatives in Kiev. She was clad in a gray outfit with her hair tied up in a bun, as she prefers wearing it these days. Addressing the audience for a full hour, she explained why she wants to become president of Ukraine. She spoke about her plans to amend the constitution and touched on issues such as taxes, real estate and foreign policy. At the end of the meeting, Tymoshenko took the floor again to make a couple of additional points. First, she said, I don't eat small children. Second, I don't act illogically.

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Update: Ukraine's Tymoshenko: 'gas princess', prisoner, and next president? (Reuters)

WNU Editor: She is presently running third in the polls, and I do not see her gaining enough support that would put her in one of the top two positions for the final run-off election in April. I also do not see her having enough votes to play a "king-maker" role, where her support may swing the balance in the second and final run-off election. But I should remind everyone (including myself) that this is Ukraine. Corruption and politics walk hand to hand in Ukraine, and anything is possible.