The ultra-nationalist Svoboda party has once again shown its true – and truly ugly – face. A senior member of the party condemned the choice of the singer Gaitana to represent Ukraine in Eurovision this year because of her race. The comment, shockingly, received very little public condemnation.

Yuriy Syrotiuk, a spokesman for Svoboda who also sits on its political council, said that because of Gaitana, the world will associate Ukraine with Africa. Syrotiuk also said that the black singer does not represent Ukraine and its culture, and therefore will lose.

Gaitana was born in Ukraine to a Congolese father and a Ukrainian mother. She has lived in Ukraine for most of her life and is a Ukrainian citizen.
Syrotiuk’s racism is distasteful and disgraceful.

Everyone must speak and stand up against such attitudes and for laws that provide for equality and freedom for all citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or political views.

Svoboda, on the other hand, stands for the opposite. Over the years, it has proved to be one of the most narrow-minded, anti-liberal and anti-democratic political forces. Its members have previously publicly scolded children in a kindergarten for using a Russified version of their names, and its members like to promote the idea of superiority of the “titular ethnic group” in Ukraine.

These are the kinds of views that led to the deaths of millions in the 20th century, including Ukrainian territory. But clearly, Svoboda has learned no lessons from Europe’s bloody history.

Unfortunately, Svoboda is gaining power fast, particularly in western Ukraine, whose residents feel their national identity is threatened by the ruling Party of Regions and its policies in education and culture.

But Svoboda is not the only shock in this story. Equally shocking is the reaction or, more precisely, lack of reaction from Ukraine’s top political and public figures. A day after Syrotiuk’s shameful statement, only Vitali Klitschko’s UDAR party issued a press release condemning xenophobia and this particular statement as “going against the European aspirations of Ukraine.”

Sadly, no other political force had anything to say. This means that most of them choose dubious, short-sighted political alliances over the values of the modern global community.

We think Gaitana is not only an excellent representative of Ukraine, we hope she wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku on May 26.