Hanna HOPKO: “We need a new quality, not new parties”

Meeting a new lecturer at Den’s Summer School of Journalism is always an interesting event which very often breaks stereotypes in the minds of young journalists and helps them develop a new vision of things and events in Ukraine and the world. But this time summer students had a unique meeting. It was Hanna Hopko, a young and brilliant politician, the chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, and, what is more, “a Den alumna,” as she herself says. Last year she decided to start a remarkable and unprecedented tradition in Ukrainian journalism: summer school students became Ms. Hopko’s guests – they visited the Verkhovna Rada premises, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and the MP’s office room, and took a glimpse behind the scenes of parliamentary work.

Ms. Hopko, who meets ex-officio not only Ukrainian top officials, but also highest-ranking foreign politicians, surprised the students with the open, easy and inspired way she spoke about her work and the development of the Ukrainian state. Among other things, the MP showed a big Australian flag with greetings from the Ukrainian diaspora and a wall map of the world. “When I first came to the committee, I said: ‘We must open up Ukraine to the world,’” Hanna commented and showed a set of Ukrainian books which she presents to foreign politicians so they know more about our state. Among them is Den’s Library book Ukraine Incognita which US Vice President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator John McCain, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, and President Sauli Niinisto of Finland already have.

 BY A SUMMER SCHOOL TRADITION, MS. HOPKO RECEIVED A DEN GIFT – A TRADEMARK T-SHIRT, A BADGE, AND AN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE BOOK, A CASE WITHOUT A STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. THIS BOOK IS PARTICULARLY TOPICAL AFTER THE MURDER OF PAVLO SHEREMET, FOR IT IS ABOUT THE HIGH-PROFILE GONGADZE-PODOLSKY CASE. “THERE ARE FEW CLOTHES BUT MANY BOOKS IN MY SUITCASES. I PLAN TO PRESENT SOMEBODY WITH THE BOOK A CASE…,” HANNA HOPKO SAID DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH STUDENTS. FOR FOREIGN POLITICIANS, IT WILL BE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE REAL HISTORY OF MODERN-DAY UKRAINE

“We heard from Hanna Hopko detailed answers to some burning questions about foreign policy and the Ukrainian parliament’s inner processes,” summer school student Maryna Snizhynska says. “What inspires us to work actively is the fact that Ms. Hopko is also a ‘Den alumna.’ This means she used to prepare materials for the newspaper and reflect, as we are doing now, on the development of the Ukrainian state and qualitative changes in politics. Now she can not only make real changes in politics, but also project this country’s image on the international arena. Although Ms. Hopko often travels abroad and can see that living standards are much better in Europe, she is trying to create a situation that will dissuade young Ukrainian intellectuals from leaving their fatherland.”

Another summer school student, Khrystyna Soltys, confesses that she used to take a critical and somewhat prejudicial attitude to politicians, but Hanna Hopko has always inspired a hope for the better. “This meeting did not dispel these hopes,” Khrystyna says. “I was deeply impressed by her firm stand on the necessity to take a personal part in the desired changes. I am pleased that she wishes to tell the world about Ukraine and is taking active steps in this direction because a lot of politicians confine themselves to words only. Ms. Hopko is making an invaluable contribution to the formation of Ukraine’s positive image in the world. I hope that further political activity will not change her principles.”

To start with, Hanna Hopko answered the summer school students’ question about the recent NATO summit held on July 8-9 in Warsaw, focusing on the consequences of this event for Ukraine and the world.

“NATO MEMBERSHIP IS WHAT SHOULD UNITE ALL POLITICIANS”

Hanna HOPKO: “Verkhovna Rada Speaker Andrii Parubii expressed a hope on Constitution Day that Ukraine would become a NATO member. But the president did not say so in his speech. It is therefore important that all of us agree that NATO membership is a top priority, a thing that should unite all politicians in order not to repeat the 2008 situation, when the Bucharest summit promised us the ‘open-door policy’ but society remained unconsolidated and full of debates on Euro-Atlantic integration. For this reason, one of the foremost homework items for the next summit is to work on the formation of a ‘national team,’ which Den has already discussed. We should also redouble our efforts to inform on and explain the political situation, particularly in eastern Ukraine. People are still not fully aware of what NATO is, but they can see that this gives us a chance to have peace and security at last.

“At the same time, the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine should carry out reforms. The people who have gained the colossal experience of defending the state should have access to adequate social advancement. Ukraine is very valuable to NATO by the experience it has gained in a ‘hybrid war.’ We must act from the position of real strength rather than from that of a ‘victim.’ Our people are showing a unique and irresistible aspiration to defend themselves before victory is achieved. Therefore, on the one hand, Ukraine should say officially that it wants to be a NATO member and prepare for this. But there should also be some adequacy. People want to see Ukraine as a NATO member because it is a mechanism of protection and, at the same time, a movement towards reforms.”

SUMMER SCHOOL STUDENTS VISITED THE VERKHOVNA RADA AT MS. HOPKO’S INVITATION. UNFORTUNATELY, PARLIAMENT UNPLEASANTLY SURPRISED THE “UNPREPARED” YOUNG JOURNALISTS WITH SOVIET ATAVISMS AND LOW ATTENDANCE – THERE WERE NO MORE THAN 60 “PEOPLE’S SERVANTS” IN THE SESSION HALL

Maryna SNIZHYNSKA, National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy: “Ukraine has been promised a visa-free treatment for quite a long time, and our government says it has met all the requirements for this. Why has it not yet been done?”

H.H.: “I think we should wait until September or, at most, October, when the European Parliament will be making key decisions. Obviously, there are some reasons why Europeans are concerned about their domestic security, such as a growing number of migrants, additional risks, increased violent crime, etc. But some European politicians would like the Ukrainian public itself to criticize Ukraine for being imperfect and use this as a pretext for refusing to grant us a visa-free regime. So it is very important not to give the EU any opportunity to take advantage of some of our domestic problems and thus have still more grounds for refusal.”

“VISA-FREE TREATMENT IS A CHANCE TO ATTRACT INVESTMENTS”

Oksana KOVAL, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: “Is visa-free treatment in the EU really positive for Ukraine? Surely, there will be a lot of pluses for society, but there will be certain minuses for the state, such as ‘brain drain.’ Have any measures been taken to prevent a ‘mass-scale flight’?”

H.H.: “I think there has already been a ‘mass-scale flight.’ Suffice it to recall migration waves in the hard 1990s, when teachers and scientist – in fact the country’s elite – first peddled at marketplaces and then emigrated in despair. Besides, many intellectuals went by way of various international programs – they first studied and then remained behind to work in the key sectors of research institutions.

“If some ambitious young people want to carve out a career abroad, no visa will hold them back. I have a lot of friends who live and work in Brazil, Canada, the US, and Germany. They’ve made their choice.

“We’ve faced a challenge in the 25 years of independence: how to create decent conditions for an individual and thus ward off ‘brain drain’? We need to launch social mobility mechanisms that will enable young Ukrainians to come and work. Our committee offers advanced studies for the best students of various universities so that they know how decisions are made, how things go, etc.

“Visa-free treatment is a chance not only to travel to Europe, but also to attract more investments and stimulate economic development. For example, we can seek opportunities to encourage our students to come back through Horizon 2020, the research and innovations funding program we ratified past year.

“On my part, I always give foreigners the book Fifty Inventions of Ukraine that Surprised the World which shows that Ukrainians are among those who developed PayPal, WhatsApp, and other systems. When we spoke to the Israeli ambassador, he told us about IT startups mostly launched by the Ukrainians who emigrated from Ukraine. So, we must be clearly aware that one of the most important missions of the state and government is to create mechanisms and increase the quality of life, which will encourage people to stay here. It seems to me that now, after the Revolution of Dignity and the events in the east, people do have a proper level of patriotism and a desire to change something in the country in spite of certain setbacks.

“You can’t possibly effect changes very fast – I know this now, but I used to think that when I got to parliament, I would be immediately able to change the state. I can feel bitter resistance now. The recent failure of the draft law about a single energy regulator, on which we worked for such a long time, shows the extent to which the system is still oligarchic in many respects. So, I am simply appealing to the people who want to leave Ukraine: if you want to live in a decent state, join change-making. And let whoever wants to leave this country ask himself a question: what have I done to deserve to live better in my parent country?

“We must know that the path to a civilized rule-of-law state is difficult, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“A PARTY MUST OFFER SOCIAL LIFTS”

Anna HOLISHEVSKA, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv: “Young people are actively organizing new parties – suffice it to recall the recent congress of Democratic Alliance. Are you going to take part in any new political projects or to launch one of your own?”

H.H.: “If we analyze the earlier party projects, we will see that they have long exhausted themselves due to their approaches and inner regulation. We have seen businesspeople and oligarchs on their lists, and we know how many problems this created for the parties themselves and the state. Besides, our ‘one-leader parties’ have been nominating the same candidate as prime minister for many years. Parties must offer social lifts because this strengthens both, them and the state.

“I support establishing new political forces because this gives people a chance to make a choice. But I’d like everybody to think of restoring trust in politicians, doing concrete things, laying the groundwork for parties, instead of staging publicity stunts in the capital. In other words, there must be a new quality, not just new forces. To promote this new quality, we must, first of all, change the rules of the game – for example, to add a clause in the election law, which will restrict outdoor advertising. It is difficult for the voters living in this horror, when all billboards are covered with slogans, to make a well-considered choice. Besides, parties must be subordinated as much as possible to both, voters and party members, and depend financially on voters, not on oligarchs.

“I visited a Conservative congress in Britain past year, analyzed it, and wrote on the difference between ideological parties and political projects. Ukrainian political projects have such slogans as ‘Take it and do it,’ ‘Vote for the premier,’ ‘Live a new life,’ and so on, whereas ideological parties have a program which offers a concrete vision, a strategic direction of the state’s development. You can see the difference in approaches between, say, the Republicans and the Democrats, while our young political parties just show an association of people rather than concrete actions to develop the state. You ask: ‘What is your program?’ They will answer: ‘Fighting corruption.’ It is a tactical, albeit an important, goal.

“For this reason, secondly, we need no situational associations of ‘good-looking boys and girls.’ We need a true ideological platform, an alternative to present-day quasi-parties. And, thirdly, it is important that this platform should be broad-based enough to incorporate all those who cherish the values of democracy (including intra-party democracy) and know that it is difficult to build a state in wartime. As a matter of fact, rallying around an ideology and a program, not around individuals or groups, is the best remedy against disunity. Only a mass-scale and powerful association, whose participants will overcome personal ambitions and minor differences for the sake of real changes in the country, will be interpreted by society as a real alternative to the old quasi-parties. And I am ready to make every effort to unite – on ideological principles – the experienced, professional, honest, and patriotic people who have a vision of state development, foreign policy, economic growth, and the main route of an epoch.”

“THE WEST SHOULD SHARE RESPONSIBILITY AND EXERT PRESSURE ON CORRUPTIONISTS”

Olena KURENKOVA, applicant, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv: “You have been presenting well-known world politicians with the Den-published book Ukraine Incognita for several years in a row. It is a very interesting diplomatic strategy to put across Ukrainian history to the world public. Den recently published one more English-language book, A Case without a Statute of Limitations. Do you also plan to present this book to world leaders?”

H.H.: “There are few clothes and many books in my suitcases. I plan to hand out A Case…, Fifty Inventions of Ukraine that Surprised the World in English and Ukrainian, and reports of the reforms we’ve carried out. It may seem from aside that nothing has changed in the state over the past two years, but we must speak about the patrol police and the newly-established anticorruption institutions. But we have a drawback: we don’t know how to communicate. When I came to the Committee, I said: ‘We must open up Ukraine to the world.’ We have this opportunity now.

“We recently received a delegation from Kuwait – a foundation of theirs has published Taras Shevchenko in the Arabic language for the first time. The whole Arab world – Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, etc. – can now discover Shevchenko as a poet. We are opening up Ukraine to the world by way of cultural diplomacy.

“We are trying to address the problems of the countries we are responsible for. In the course of a very tough conversation with G7 ambassadors, we were told about the main problems of the state: extortions, corruption, hostile takeovers, the Security Service, and law-enforcement bodies. So, the conclusion is as follows: if we want money to be invested, Ukraine should create normal conditions.

“We have even had disputes with the National Security and Defense Committee, for we have taken over parliamentary supervision on the Ministry of Defense and also invited representatives of various embassies and international programs which are making efforts to reform the Ukrainian security sector. I think the West should also share responsibility and exert pressure on the corruptionists who buy villas abroad by asking them about the origin of their wealth and property. They and their families should be forbidden to leave the country. They must understand clearly that tough sanctions will await them if they embezzle the budget or abuse their office.”

It will be recalled that Den’s Summer School of Journalism is held this year with support of the NATO Information and Documentation Center.