Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Issues of ethnicity should have no place in Ukrainian politics

on Dec. 4, Arseniy Yatsenyuk fielded questions from his fellow parliamentarians concerning his past performance and future plans. The 33-year-old successfully fended off attacks from political opponents with quick wit and sharp tongue. He appeared to maintain his composure in response to a question posed by Party of Regions MP Hryhoriy Smitiukh about his nationality.

“Nationality was in the Soviet Union,” Yatsenyuk responded, referring to the Communist-era practice of including information about a person’s ethnic background in internal passports. “My nationality is Ukrainian. My father was born in Chernivtsi, my mother in Kolomiya… If we’re going to start off with the issue of nationality and this kind of tolerance, then this is a very nice way to begin,” he said.

Yatsenyuk is rumored to have Jewish roots while also being related to a prominent Ukrainian nationalist author. Whatever the case, Ukraine is a multicultural society and this fact has been reflected in the country’s government personnel and policies since independence. For the record, we feel it is correct for politicians to be questioned about their religious beliefs, since religion could have a direct impact on a person’s political views on key issues. But ethnicity should be irrelevant. True, being Jewish could mean one’s ethnicity, religious belief, or both. Regardless of this issue’s complexity, if Yatsenyuk does have Jewish roots, or adheres to the Jewish faith, and feels that he is Ukrainian, he should not have been ashamed of admitting it, explaining that his nationality is Ukrainian and that he is a patriot.

However, according to our educated suspicion, what is really troubling is that this question was posed to spark inter-ethnic tension and hurt Yatsenyuk’s candidacy. The irony of this concern over Yatsenyuk’s ethnic roots is that it came from the Party of Regions, which is arguably the most ethnically diverse party in parliament. The Tatar ancestry of Regions MP and billionaire Rinat Akhmetov has never been an issue for the party.

An apology from the Party of Regions would not be enough. Smitiukh should be held accountable for the unacceptable cheap shot that came out of his mouth. The Regions should react quickly, providing an explanation, as well as a proper solution, and kick Smitiukh out of parliament and out of the party as an example. Stirring up inter-ethnic tension is a throwback to the past that cannot be tolerated.