Svoboda tames radicals to get into parliament

Svoboda Party’s success in the Oct. 28 parliamentary election came as a surprise even for its own leaders. Unsure if it would hit the 5 percent threshold for getting elected, the right-wing nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) Party instead received more than 10 percent of the popular vote and 37 seats in parliament, according to the official results.The jump from a marginal western Ukrainian party into parliament happened because of a metamorphosis that took place over the past few years and that accelerated during the campaign. Many of Svoboda’s most radical ideas were tamed, enabling the party to win over voters across the board.

Ihor Zhdanov, head of Vidkryta politika think tank, said he told Svoboda Party leader Oleh Tiahnybok: “You have brand new types of voters, Russian speakers and even Jews.”