Explain Ukrainian politics to me

[ApatheticAustrian]

The great thing about Ukraine is, that it's a perfect prototype to explain the difference between "old-school" left and right and "modern western" left and right.

Left-wing means something different in Ukraine than even in Poland or - don't even dream of it - Germany.

Regarding economy politics:

Yushchenko was a free-marketer and a liberal reformer (more or less...for ukrainian standards) but not a populist. Which is why the east-ukranian parties could work with him better than with Yulia, who is more radical, even while she is also able to do deals with Russia.

I know this is a stereotype, but the biggest question in Ukraine isn't who is a statist or a free-marketer but.....which oligarchs and which other groups are going to profit from a deal.

That's imho also a major reason why the party of regions is dead today....Yanukovych was trying wrestle the benefits out of the hands of classical pro-party of regions oligarchs and only support a small circle around his family. You lose friends, you lose your foundation.

[kelestian]

 i must add, that part-proportional part-plurality voting system in Ukraine looks not good. A lot of MPs who were elected in their own constituencies are just corrupt businessmen, they gift  cheap food to old people in constituency and later come to the Parliament. Some of them created two parliamentary blocs in favor of some oligarchs (those oligarchs are leaders of their blocs). Many  of candidates in constituencies declare themself as independent; that's how Yanukovich won 2012 parliamentary election, when Party of regions got only 30% and blue-bloc only 104 seats by proportional voting (Opposition - 121 seats), but suddenly bunch of 'Independent' MPs had joined Yanukovich's coalition.

And for God's sake i hope they will allow gubernatorial elections for all regions

[Zuza]

To be fair, without "independents" PoR and CPU already had together considerably more seats than "orange" parties (217 vs 178) thanks to single-member constituencies. But yes, majority of "independents" joined PoR soon after the election.