Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is the new Ukrainian President

Mariska Hargitay

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is set to become the new President of Ukraine with exit polls predicting he has won more than 70% of the votes.

TBH I'm very surprised, I though Petro Poroshenko would get in again given the fact that experience has been at the forefront of this campaign. Poroshenko has years of experience whilst Zelensky is a novice.

This could set a precedent, experience on politics is not always needed to win votes...

BeerWolf

What a joke.

Beechwoodspark

Pat short or missus brown will be taking note

kneemos

Dustin for President.

TheValeyard

Who will have the last laugh?

Del.Monte

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

Who will have the last laugh?

Putin?

Agus anois, an aimsir.

riffmongous

Will be very interesting to see what happens now with relation to the Donbass. Will Russia try to take advantage of the changeover and uncertainty and ramp up the violence there? Or try the diplomatic approach to try reach a settlement that acknowledges the 'independence' of the region in exchange for disengagement. Conversely which route will the new president take?

TheValeyard

Del.Monte wrote: »

Putin?

AllGunsBlazing

Mariska Hargitay wrote: »

This could set a precedent, experience on politics is not always needed to win votes...

Not really a precedent. Yet another hand grenade lobbed in the direction of the political establishment. If anything the Italians started the ball rolling a few year back?

Beechwoodspark

I for one welcome our new comedian overlord - Brendan o Carroll

mad muffin

They could have elected a bucket. For all the difference it will make.

EICVD

You’re joking!

KevRossi

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

I for one welcome our new comedian overlord - Brendan o Carroll

O'Carroll isn't funny.

AllGunsBlazing

mad muffin wrote: »

They could have elected a bucket. For all the difference it will make.

I know who's got my vote.

Gimme A Pound

Ah here, a TV president without any previous experience... becoming real president? (Cue Trump comparisons - this is more like Martin Sheen becoming president when The West Wing was on though)

mzungu

How long before the backlash?

He was voted in as a rejection of the status quo, but he doesn't have much in the way of concrete policy ideas other than to get rid of corruption. A noble ideal, but much easier said than done.

Aidric

Christ, politics is sinking further in to farce by the day. Poroshenko was no revolutionary but at least he had policy.

This guy stood on a platform of a protest vote supported by what?

RobbingBandit

Only a moron wouldn't cast his vote for Monty Burns

Gimme A Pound

Aidric wrote: »

Christ, politics is sinking further in to farce by the day. Poroshenko was no revolutionary but at least he had policy.

This guy stood on a platform of a protest vote supported by what?

Duh... he's a president on tv.

mikeym

Why doesnt Ukraine stand up for itself?

Russia is bullying the Ukraine.

Irish Praetorian

Interested to see how this pans out; I'm generally of the view that protest politics tend to be self-defeating and counter-productive, but I guess that remains to be seen. Atleast the democratic tradition is getting a bit more firmly entrenched, and as odd as one might find such candidates, I don't think its a bad thing for a political system to remind people that no-one is guaranteed anything, at least once in a while.

MeMen2_MoRi_

Does it really matter to the people of Ukraine, the person who gets elected is either for the West or for Russia.

ILoveYourVibes

Mariska Hargitay wrote: »

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is set to become the new President of Ukraine with exit polls predicting he has won more than 70% of the votes.

TBH I'm very surprised, I though Petro Poroshenko would get in again given the fact that experience has been at the forefront of this campaign. Poroshenko has years of experience whilst Zelensky is a novice.

This could set a precedent, experience on politics is not always needed to win votes...

There is nuance.

Zelensky is a leftest. He is also a Ukrainian nationalist.

Plus one of the things Putin was doing in crimea was spreading anti semitc propaganda.

There is a very large jewish community in ukraine. And a lot had to leave crimea they say putin had gangs on the ground intimidate them.

The fled to places like Odessa and Uman. There are huge jewish pilgrimages to Uman.

Zelensky is a liberal nationalist who supported the Euromaiden with is own pocket he supported Ukrainian forces against Russia with his own money...

He is also Jewish. He is the country's first Jewish president.

And yes ..he was also a comedian.

He must be driving Putin MENTAL! He also has some harsh words for Merkel.


Kyiv had its pride day for LGBT.....it went well.

https://www.unian.info/politics/10588368-crimea-is-ukraine-zelensky-on-what-he-would-tell-putin-in-person.html

His stance on Crimea is unmovable.

And he make Merkel SHAKE (ok she was sick but still he stands up to both the west and putin)

Putin must be sick all his antisemitic propaganda didn't work and that Ukraine is swinging left.

It's a rejection of Putin's fascism.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

There is nuance.

Zelensky is a leftest. He is also a Ukrainian nationalist.

Plus one of the things Putin was doing in crimea was spreading anti semitc propaganda.

There is a very large jewish community in ukraine. And a lot had to leave crimea they say putin had gangs on the ground intimidate them.

The fled to places like Odessa and Uman. There are huge jewish pilgrimages to Uman.

Zelensky is a liberal nationalist who supported the Euromaiden with is own pocket he supported Ukrainian forces against Russia with his own money...

He is also Jewish. He is the country's first Jewish president.

And yes ..he was also a comedian.

He must be driving Putin MENTAL! He also has some harsh words for Merkel.


Kyiv had its pride day for LGBT.....it went well.

https://www.unian.info/politics/10588368-crimea-is-ukraine-zelensky-on-what-he-would-tell-putin-in-person.html

His stance on Crimea is unmovable.

And he make Merkel SHAKE (ok she was sick but still he stands up to both the west and putin)

Putin must be sick all his antisemitic propaganda didn't work and that Ukraine is swinging left.

It's a rejection of Putin's fascism.

That's an interesting slant you've taken, because we've seen traditional Ukrainian nationalism heavily linked with the right-wing - both historically with Bandera, who followed a very definite anti-semitic policy in occupied Ukraine during WWII - and today with significant political forces having anti-semitic views.

Have a look at the Azov battalion - which is a Ukrainian defence unit - whose insignia features Wolfsangel, recognise that anywhere? It was used by a number of German Wehrmacht units during WWII, including the SS Das Reich.

That's no coincidence. Ultranationalists in Ukraine have, for a long time, identified or sympathised with the Nazis.

There has been a significant escalation in anti-semitic intimidation and attacks in Ukraine in the past decade, and if the Jewish community is fleeing Ukraine, it is because of nationalists/ultranationalists.

This has all been well documented, there is too much overwhelming evidence to ignore, so I can only assume you are either completely ignorant of it or just choosing to ignore in order to score points against Putin.

The Russian administration, especially under Putin, are no saints, but some of the **** the Ukrainians have been up to puts his ilk in the shade.

ILoveYourVibes

Steyr 556 wrote: »

That's an interesting slant you've taken, because we've seen traditional Ukrainian nationalism heavily linked with the right-wing - both historically with Bandera, who followed a very definite anti-semitic policy in occupied Ukraine during WWII - and today with significant political forces having anti-semitic views.

Have a look at the Azov battalion - which is a Ukrainian defence unit - whose insignia features Wolfsangel, recognise that anywhere? It was used by a number of German Wehrmacht units during WWII, including the SS Das Reich.

That's no coincidence. Ultranationalists in Ukraine have, for a long time, identified or sympathised with the Nazis.

There has been a significant escalation in anti-semitic intimidation and attacks in Ukraine in the past decade, and if the Jewish community is fleeing Ukraine, it is because of nationalists/ultranationalists.

This has all been well documented, there is too much overwhelming evidence to ignore, so I can only assume you are either completely ignorant of it or just choosing to ignore in order to score points against Putin.

The Russian administration, especially under Putin, are no saints, but some of the **** the Ukrainians have been up to puts his ilk in the shade.

The attacks are in Russian controlled crimea.
I'm Jewish and I have been to Ukraine. Some of my family are from there originally.

It's not my personal experience.

And you couldn't get a Jewish president elected here in Ireland or the states.

Ukraine is not perfect. But it's not what you think.

Jews are fleeing TO the ukrainian controlled parts of Ukraine out of crimea.

Jews from Israel go every year to Uman for Rosh Hashanah especially breslov jews.

Look at the video. I can't imagine such an outward expression of Jewishness in large numbers in Europe or maybe even here without it getting people's backs up a bit.

You have totally got the wrong end of the stick.

Russian Jews however are fleeing to israel. Even the billioniare ones like Roman Abramovich.

Why would a deeply antisemitic country elect a jewish president ?

A jewish president i would have you know that putin still spreads anti Semitic lies about.

ILoveYourVibes

mikeym wrote: »

Why doesnt Ukraine stand up for itself?

Russia is bullying the Ukraine.

Ukraine is a small country. Russia is a huge country.

And they were promised protection from the US which they never got.

TheValeyard

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

And you couldn't get a Jewish president elected here in Ireland.

Disagree

ILoveYourVibes

TheValeyard wrote: »

Disagree

You are entitled to your opinion.

Why do you say so?

It's good to challenge my own views.

1o059k7ewrqj3n

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

The attacks are in Russian controlled crimea.
I'm Jewish and I have been to Ukraine. Some of my family are from there originally.

It's not my personal experience.

And you couldn't get a Jewish president elected here in Ireland or the states.

Ukraine is not perfect. But it's not what you think.

In 10 seconds I was able to find upwards of 20 articles from prominent and trusted Israeli news sources like the Times of Israel and Haaretz of extensive anti-semitism in Ukraine. All related to 2019 or 2018.

You wouldn't have a Jewish president elected in Ireland because there are almost no Jewish politicians here, rather than intermarry with the Irish, they all choose to move to London from the 1950s onwards. Dublin had a substantial Jewish community for quite some time but they chose to leave in order to marry fellow Jews.

I cannot comment on the US, only in terms of generalisations - but look there has only been one Catholic president. Sanders, had it not been for Clinton's meddling, would have probably been the Democratic candidate in the last election and would have certainly been a better opposition to Trump than her, is Jewish and would probably been elected had he not been robbed by Clinton and the Democrat establishment.

Absolutely no doubt, this country has had a very mixed approach to Jewish emigration - to be truthful, it was shameful - in that Jews were blocked coming to the country especially during before and during WWII, but it made no pressure to make them leave afterwards.

ILoveYourVibes

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Only a moron wouldn't cast his vote for Monty Burns

He is far from monty burns. He wants Ukraine to be a member of the EU and Nato.

ILoveYourVibes

Steyr 556 wrote: »

You wouldn't have a Jewish president elected in Ireland because there are almost no Jewish politicians here, rather than intermarry with the Irish, they all choose to move to London from the 1950s onwards. Dublin had a substantial Jewish community for quite some time but they chose to leave in order to marry fellow Jews.

Actually Jews do intermarry here.

And Irish Jews intermarry in London too.

Ireland never let enough Jews IN to have a substantial jewish community. Not even during ww2.

Absolutely no doubt, this country has had a very mixed approach to Jewish emigration - to be truthful, it was shameful - in that Jews were blocked coming to the country especially during before and during WWII, but it made no pressure to make them leave afterwards

I don't think Ireland understands jews at all tbh. That could be changing I don't know.

TheValeyard

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

You are entitled to your opinion.

Why do you say so?

It's good to challenge my own views.

If we could elect a gay son of an immigrant as leader of this country, so could anyone from any background. We've had Jewish lord Mayors and TDs, ministers before.

ILoveYourVibes

TheValeyard wrote: »

If we could elect a gay son of an immigrant as leader of this country, so could anyone from any background. We've had Jewish lord Mayors and TDs, ministers before.

Well thank you. Maybe I will choose to believe that instead.

Everybody loves jews