Julia and silence: Is she preparing to “leap”?
” Where has Tymoshenko vanished? ” journalists and specialists are asking one another. “Why the silence? Why not one discussion, not one political address after the polls?” But, not long ago, Tymoshenko was being rebuked for the opposite—and the ever-present “armchair experts” never stopped complaining about how often she was around.
Some claim not a single Shuster’s show goes by without her. And after that, Yulia disappeared. Currently, the face of Batkivshchyna is mainly Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Although, after taking a seat in the Cabinet, the latter has quietly “distanced himself” from the party’s actions. Furthermore, there’s growing speculation that Yatsenyuk might take over as the head of the presidential Solidarity bloc.
Thoughtful strategies
Tymoshenko's current quietness is a planned strategy. Yulia has no thoughts of “leaving politics”; instead, she's strengthening her position. For now, she has chosen to maintain a modest profile. She has mentioned Oleksandr Turchynov was “in control of the country” for a period of three months. Now it's up to newly chosen President Poroshenko's team to demonstrate their capabilities. The role of the opposition is her better suit, however, an agreement for mutual benefit with the new leader isn't impossible (as a good number of BYuT representatives remain in the administration, and Prosecutor General Yarema also has connections to Yulia's party).
“Tymoshenko has decided to avoid grand statements until Poroshenko's 100 days in office are up. At the moment, she's concentrating on ‘behind the scenes’ tasks – reviewing her members before possible votes, meeting frequently with people she envisions in the new governing body. While she's not outwardly recognized, this is her method,” a member of her campaign group, which she hasn’t taken apart, told Glavkom in privacy.
We received affirmation of this from Igor Zhdanov, the head of her campaign headquarters: Tymoshenko arranged a prolonged session of the Batkivshchyna political council for 6:00 PM on Tuesday, with the involvement of party representatives.
Batkivshchyna faction MP Andriy Pavlovsky confirms that Tymoshenko regularly goes to her workspace at 13 Turovskaya Street.
“There are several issues and matters about the party that have arisen during her absence and should be dealt with urgently. Who is going to manage them otherwise? Particularly, Arseniy is responsible for government operations, whereas Turchynov is overseeing parliament. Apart from that, she has passionately given herself to politics, and she requires a deep focus on her wellness. She still favors one side while walking,” the deputy mentions.
“The most recent time I encountered her, she appeared great. Ready to react,” a contact close to Tymoshenko told us at that same period.
According to our contact, the “leap” is anticipated for the latter part of summer. Although, if the elections are scheduled for October, it could occur sooner.
Political experts are unified in their perspective that Tymoshenko has chosen the appropriate method. At present, Yulia Vladimirovna simply doesn’t have a suitable spot to go into public sight.
“Just now, it is difficult for her to be a compromiser. Nor will she openly encourage Poroshenko. In addition, she can’t join his opposition overtly. She’ll have to wait until he makes a mistake,” political academic Mikhail Pogrebinsky described in an interview with Segodnya.
His counterpart, Vadim Karasev, also feels that staying passive is the finest option for Tymoshenko right now. “She’s correctly paused right now. She is keeping silent because it’s too early to criticize Poroshenko.”
Party business
It's also worth mentioning that Tymoshenko really should focus on her political group. It’s public knowledge that almost half of Batkivshchyna plainly backed Petro Poroshenko during the presidential vote. Yulia Volodymyrivna is conscious of this and is steadily planning purges in a few parts of the country.
“Everyone knows of this. Tymoshenko doesn’t ask those people to political gatherings, but they each appear at the representative meeting and establish what to vote for,” says a source in Batkivshchyna. Tymoshenko herself goes frequently to parliament, at least, she has shown up a few times for representative meetings based on deputies.
“She has to add young, new people, civic participants. She needs to refresh her quality team, as well as develop the Maidan, which is something she will likely go ahead with,” Vadim Karasev recommends.
With the weakening numbers of left-wing parties, Batkivshchyna might gain influence at the cost of the crumbling Communist Party. More mature voters, nostalgic for what has been lost (in every meaning of that phrase), previously linked to the left and to some extent, the Party of Regions, can possibly be the main supporters of Tymoshenko’s political group. If that happens, Tymoshenko will focus on her most popular “social matter.”
A further possibility is a shift to the intense right, where the setting for Svoboda can be clear. If this happens, Ukraine’s entering NATO can be a key aspect of Tymoshenko’s campaign (a concept supported by around 50% of Ukrainians because of Russia’s violence). She campaigned vigorously for the North Atlantic Alliance even during the presidential vote, and encouraged a nationwide vote.
Oligarchs will also remain a solid target for Tymoshenko, and their figures will likely increase with Poroshenko’s rise to authority. The war against the unified face of oligarchs, regardless of its universality, still has a decent quantity of followers any moment.
As Glavkom has found out, Tymoshenko lives in her personal house, located in an exclusive part of Koncha-Zaspa called “Sribna Zatoka.” For the two and a half years that the former prime minister had to spend in imprisonment, Yevhenia Tymoshenko with her fiancé lived there as well. For the time being, it seems as if the former owner has comfortably secured herself in for the long run, full with new strategies and desires.
Author: Elena Lipskaya
Based on materials from: Glavcom.ua
