Episode 141: Vote for Guns and Social Healthcare!

Previously in Europe

This week we discuss is the Ukraine elections, oh boy that Servent of the People party, is ho boy, oof. In our "No Elections Left Behind" section!
 

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Show Notes

Ukrainian parliamentary election

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Ukrainian_parliamentary_election Genuinely unprecedented and unique election: - First ever in Ukrainian history since independence to have a majority - 60% of new members of parliament will be first time politicians - major parties took enormous hits across the board (https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-on-course-for-majority-in-parliament/30069728.html)

What's their deal?

Zelensky is so new to politics it's hard to box him under any umbrella other than extreme reforms. His party says their ideology is libertarianism and are generally pro strengthening EU ties.

Some highlights currently on the table from their manifesto:

• Replacing their hybrid FPTP and party list system with party lists only (this has actually now happened)

• A mechanism to recall members of parliament via no-confidence from voters

• Some currently not well defined direct democracy measures

• "re-launch relations with Ukraine's closest neighbors in the West"

• Reform of law enforcement agencies
  Which seems to be a mix of reducing regulation on financial crimes but also holding police officers to account... and also gun rights?

• A lot of "audits" into how almost everything works

Very new party

There are concerns of many of the new party MPs being... well of mixed quality and lacking due diligence in candidate selection. However, the election went well by recent Ukranian standards from a democratic perspective.

"votes did not go towards the “lesser evil” as before; voting for rather than against something. This is a rare achievement in the region and an essential shift for the country’s democracy towards maturity."

http://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/07/24/the-new-ukrainian-parliament-at-first-glance/

Honourable mention

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_(Ukrainian_political_party)

Russian Tensions

The security service said it detained the Russian tanker in a Ukrainian port on Wednesday 24th of July. Authorities said the tanker was involved in blocking Ukrainian vessels from sailing through the Kerch Strait in November. Russia alleged the vessels breached its territorial waters.

The Ukrainian Security Service, also known as SBU, is still led by an ally of Ukraine’s former president, Petro Poroshenko,

The 10-member crew of the Russia’s tanker was allowed to disembark and leave Ukraine since they were not involved in November’s incident, Russian human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova said.

Russian ships fired on and seized the Ukrainian vessels on Nov. 25 in the Kerch Strait, located between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has insisted the vessels were in international waters when Russia intercepted them.

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https://apnews.com/e212d39680f349a0b8e787d4f45ad250