Thread by @oonuch

🧵1) Ukrainians have been dying 4 European values + chance 2 join EU since 2014! That’s not why they deserve #candidatestatus. #Ukraine deserves candidate status because even in context of war, economic crisis & pandemic their democracy strengthened & consolidated #EmbraceUkraine

2) Since 2014, in face of Russian invasion + pandemic - Ukrainians went to polls 8 times: 2 presidential (1 with 2 rounds), 2 parliamentary, 3 national local elections (1 at the height of the pandemic). All = free & fair. Unlike elsewhere in Europe voters shunned radical parties!

3) Since 2014 pol elite (although not without their moments of infighting) rallied around key reforms. 2014-2019 we saw numerous reforms with most important in transparency & decentralization. Latter = hugely successful increased local faith in democracy

4) The NGO and civil society sector also became a prominent force in Ukrainian politics since 2014. Although civil society has been strong in Ukraine for decades it became more influential in not only holding politicians to account but also directly affecting policy decisions.

5) Activism - already very strong in Ukraine and relying on a rich history dating back 2 the 1960s dissident groups - also developed over this period. We saw feminist, LGTBQ and environmental movements flourish in Ukraine. We also saw a large anticorruption movement in 2015-2019

6) We saw the political system open up 2 next gen (like the euro optimists @Leshchenkos @mefimus @svitlanaza + @HopkoHanna among others) & outsiders of nomenklatura that mostly made up the economic & political field up2 2014. The most famous outsider being @ZelenskyyUa of course

7) 2019 Presidential elections we saw a divisive campaign bring a large majority of Ukrainians together with huge majorities voting 4 outsider @ZelenskyyUa (who although a celebrity was in many ways very ordinary in his upbringing) & his party. Something we have never seen before

8) The main campaign message from both @poroshenko & @ZelenskyyUa was about 🇺🇦European path. Zelenskyy dedicated large portions of his inaugural (& other) speech/es 2 it “Europe is not out there it is in here” [pointing 2 head] “it is a state of mind”!

9) This electoral message was so inspiring in its pro-European nature that we saw a major youth quake in Ukraine - young people voted at higher rates! Not a EuroMaidan generation effect (we as show in our paper) 1 of positive messaging around European values/goals #EmbraceUkraine

10) What did Zelenskyy & Sluha Narodu do once in power - they got down 2 business passing legislation like cancelling of deputy immunity attempted by many parliaments before. They had a majority so they could do it alone but got help & worked with opp. parties #EmbraceUkraine

11) When in 2019/2020 Zelenskyy found his government embroiled in a US scandal - they fought back and surprisingly were able to stand their ground. Interestingly the US president & not the Ukrainian one came out much worse with Zelenskyy even gaining respect internationally.

12) When pandemic hit Zelenskyy continued his message of a United & European Ukraine stressing all Ukrainians regardless of religion, language they speak, or ethnic group all belong 2 Civic Ukrainian community & made clear “slava Ukraiini” was a civic Ukrainian rally call

13) As pandemic raged parliament continued its work & passed more landmark laws like that of land reform - something every predecessor talk about but could never get done. Sluha & Zelenskyy with help of @Euro_Solidarity & Holos expanded already successful decentralization

14) Yes, that’s right with multiple crises ongoing Ukrainian gov/Par worked together across party lines & got on with passing laws that brought prospects of EU accession closer! They got on with business of delivering. Period was far from perfect but was better than ever before!

15) And guess what Ukrainians seeing that their democracy is working doubled down on democracy. Since 2019 we saw exponential growth in support for democracy among ordinary Ukrainians. #EmbraceUkraine @EUCouncil @eucopresident

16) Ukrainians also moved to pro-Euroatlantist positions & have volunteered & kept up non violent civil resistance during WAR!!! If that’s not demonstrating Ukrainians commitment to democratic liberal (European) values then I don’t know what would. #EmbraceUkraine @eucopresident

17) That’s the thing, Ukrainians have been doing all this European democratization stuff 4 long time. Their democracy was becoming fully consolidated & that’s why the Kremlin attacked Ukraine. NATO didn’t pose threat 2 authoritarian Russia a democratic Ukraine did!#EmbraceUkraine