In Mariinsky Park, near Ukraine’s parliament building, protesters huddled around blaring speakers and held their breath. When the final tally came – 331 votes in favor – the tension broke into jubilation.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, had just reinstated the independence of the country’s main anti-corruption agencies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – on Thursday afternoon, July 31.
Thursday’s reversal is considered a major win for the activists, about three-quarters of which were young women, who had been gathering in Kyiv every day since July 22, the day parliament rushed through – and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed – the controversial law 12414 that curbed the independence of NABU and SAPO and placed them under the authority of the president’s appointed Prosecutor General.
For many of the young protesters, the fight felt familiar – an echo of the Revolution of Dignity that their parents had taken part in a decade earlier, and whose values they had grown up with.
“My parents – our parents – were in Maidan for the revolution and they weren’t there for nothing,” Elizabeth, a university student who was joined by three of her friends, told Kyiv Post.
Nearby, Natalia, who remembered those days firsthand, reflected on how far the younger generation had come.
“I’m just here to share the values with my people to show how proud I am of this new generation of Ukrainians being so mature, fighting for democracy, fighting for the values, and I’m just proud to share the moment with them,” she said.
“We are celebrating the victory of civil society,” one of the rally coordinators, 23-year-old Zinaida Averina, told Kyiv Post. “It shows that Ukrainian democracy works and the authorities hear us. It shows that even during war, there must be a feedback loop.”
Indeed, the rally came after Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 11 people and wounded over 100.
We don’t want to come back to the Soviet Union. We don’t want to be a part of Russia and we only want to be an independent Ukraine.
For many, part of what makes the fight against corruption so important is that it’s a necessary element for Kyiv’s EU bid. This was true for two friends who had come to the rally.
“So we are really happy,” Daryna started to say.
“Really amazing!” Mira jumped in.
“And satisfied by it [Parliament restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO] because this is our future and we need to fight for our future,” Daryna continued.
“We understand that the only way for Ukraine is Europe and a European future is only possible if we beat corruption. And this law is crucial for that,” Mira said.
“We don’t want to come back to the Soviet Union. We don’t want to be a part of Russia and we only want to be an independent Ukraine,” added Daryna.
However, although those at the rally had something to celebrate, Valeria Radchenko of the Anti-Corruption Action Center told Kyiv Post that the fight is not over.
“One of the things that is really important, what today’s vote marks, is that we actually have to follow up and continue the fight for the right decisions of our government. So the next decision that everybody awaits is the vote of the Cabinet of Ministers for the appointment of the [BEB] director, the director of the Bureau of Economic Security, Radchenko said.
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved nominee Oleksandr Tsyvinsky to become head of the BEB, an anti-corruption and financial monitoring agency. Although Tsyvinsky was approved, the parliament hasn’t accepted his nomination.
This was echoed by Polina, who held up a cardboard sign saying “Vote for European Future: Independent Anti-Corruption Agencies.”
“I understand that this is only the first steps on the anti-corruption road, we also have to be sure that BEB is going to work the right way, that other things like NABU and SAPO who we were standing for today, are going to work as they need to work,” she said. “I really hope that in the future, we won’t be obliged to go to protests like these. No one actually wants to go to these protests because we understand how Russian propaganda uses them.”
Dmytro, who had come to the protest with his partner, echoed Polina’s cautious optimism but admitted the day had taken an emotional toll: “Actually, I expected that the vote would be successful today. But still I was kind of stressed because, to be honest, I’m very tired, and yeah, I don’t know what I would do if they didn’t vote. But fortunately we got our local victory today. Of course, there is still lots of work to do.”
As demonstrators at Mariinsky Park processed the day’s outcome, government officials also moved to frame the vote as a meaningful step forward.
“The law removes the issue of risks of interference in the work of anti-corruption bodies and strengthens the entire law and order system,” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on Facebook.
“This is a clear response to the expectations of society and our European partners. Ukraine has once again proved that it is a democratic country. Our state listens to public opinion, respects the positions of all citizens and strengthens our institutions. The government of Ukraine will inform all partners about the decision taken.”