The November anniversary of Euromaidan came amid anger and disappointment, with people calling for President Petro Poroshenko’s resignation.
Currently, public opinion is focused on the problem of corruption and the influence powerful Ukrainian oligarchs have. Members of business clans and their cronies in the political elite and among Ukrainian officials continue to manipulate the economic and legal system for their own personal gain.
The country has not seen any dramatic changes. There are still "shadow mechanisms" in action. They are used jointly by oligarchs and senior officials "parasiting on the country", an unnamed businessman close to Ukrainian oligarchs told Financial Times. According to him, bribes and kickbacks are estimated to cost nearly $4 billion a year.
Critics have warned that president-billionaire Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk would not be able to complete the necessary reforms as they come from the old corrupted system.
As for Poroshenko, he has also rebuked the accusations but his popularity has halved against a year ago.
In an open letter to the government, activists and journalists urged the authorities to stop "imitating reforms" and fight against corruption. "Otherwise the country may face a new revolution," the letter warned as cited by Financial Times.
Now, people are not ready to take to the streets again. However, surveys show that Ukrainians are not satisfied with the new government. The new pro-Western leaders once backed by civil protests have failed to meet the public’s demands, including rooting out corruption, improving living standards and establishing the rule of law.
The government’s inability to act turns even more dangerous as soldiers are coming back from war in eastern Ukraine. "If there are no changes we will shoot at them [government]," one serviceman said at the anniversary, as quoted by the article.
