Svitlana Zalishchuk. (Credit: European External Action Service, YouTube; fair use)
Svitlana Zalishchuk embodies an ideal of the European Union: an effortlessly multilingual, passionate advocate for liberal and democratic values. A former journalist and civil society activist, she entered parliament on the crest of a democratic wave after the 2013-14 EuroMaidan protests. To hear her make a persuasive case for the EU at a time of institutional crisis is to glimpse the potential of a project that so many take for granted.
For Zalishchuk, 34, the most pressing issue facing Ukraine is corruption – the “cancer” in the body politic. According to recent polls, over half the population agrees, despite the nation’s numerous challenges (war, annexation, the economy). Even by Eurasian standards, Ukraine’s corruption is extreme: the public space is dominated by billionaire oligarchs who own their own political parties, TV stations and even paramilitary battalions. Zalishchuk believes that very few in Ukraine’s parliament are not bribed: “It’s about 10% – approximately 40 people – that are not corrupt”, out of a total of 450.
