Arseniy Yatsenyuk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arseniy Petrovych Yatsenyuk (Ukrainian: Арсеній Петрович Яценюк, Arseniy Yatseniuk; born May 22, 1974) is a Ukrainian politician, economist and lawyer. Yatsenyuk served in the government of Ukraine as Minister of Economy from 2005 to 2006; subsequently he was Foreign Minister of Ukraine in 2007 and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) from 2007 to 2008. Currently he is one of the leaders of Ukraine's second biggest party[1]All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" and leader of the parliamentary faction of "Fatherland".[2][3][4]

Early life[edit]

Arseniy Petrovych Yatsenyuk was born on May 22, 1974 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). He was born in a family of professors of the Chernivtsi University. After Yatsenyuk began studying at the Chernivtsi University in 1992, Yatsenyuk set up a student law firm.[5] He graduated from the university in 1996, and later attended the Chernivtsi Trade-Economics Institute of the "Kyiv National Trade-Economics Institute" in 2001.[6]

From December 1992 to September 1997 he was the president of "Yurek Ltd." law firm, based in Chernivtsi.[6] From January 1998 until September 2001, Yatsenyuk worked in the Aval bank, based in Kiev.[6]

Political career[edit]

From September until November 2001, Arseniy served as an "acting" Minister of Economy of Crimea, and from November of the same year until January 2003, served as the official Minister of Economy of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.[6]

From November 2003 to February 2005, Yatsenyuk served as the first vice-president of the head of the National Bank of Ukraine under Serhiy Tyhypko.[5] After Tyhypko left the National Bank, Arseniy Yatsenyuk was put in charge of the National Bank.[5]

After Vasyl Tsushko was appointed as the new Governor of Odessa Oblast, Tsushko asked Yatsenyuk to serve as his vice-governor, which he served from March 9 to September 2005.[5][6] From September 27, 2005 to August 4, 2006, he served as the Minister of Economy of Ukraine in the Yekhanurov Government.[5][7] Arseniy Yatsenyuk then headed talks about Ukrainian membership in the World Trade Organization. Yatsenyuk also heads the Ukraine-European Union commission.

From September 20, 2006, he served as the first vice-president of the Head of Government of the President of Ukraine, and the representative of the president in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.[8]

Arseniy Yatsenyuk was proposed for the post of Foreign Minister by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko. Yatsenyuk was chosen for the post by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on March 21, 2007[9] with 426 votes (from 450 maximum),[10] but only after the Ukrainian parliament twice denied the post to Volodymyr Ohryzko.

Speaker of the Parliament[edit]

In the early parliamentary elections held on September 30, 2007, Yatsenyuk was elected to the parliament from Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc (number 3 in the bloc's member list). On December 3, 2007, he was nominated for the position of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada from the democratic coalition formed from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc.[11] On December 4, 2007, Yatsenyuk was elected the Chairman of the Parliament.[12] His candidacy was the only in the ballot, and he obtained 227 votes in favor (from the democratic coalition; opposition abstained from the voting).[13]

During the Ukrainian political crises of September 2008 Yatsenyuk offered his resignation on September 17, 2008. A vote on his dismissal on November 11, 2008, was declared invalid by the counting commission of the Parliament[14][15] (the vote was proposed by opposition party Party of Regions).[16]

On November 12, a total of 233 of 226 required deputies satisfied the resignation statement of Yatsenyuk and thus dismissed him from his post of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.[17][18] The voting was carried out through the parliaments voting system and not by means of secret ballots, as stipulated by the parliamentary regulations.[19] After his dismissal Yatsenyuk told journalists that he will form a new political force "for change in the country."[20][21]

On November 21, 2008 Arseniy Yatsenyuk was also dismissed by PresidentViktor Yushchenko from the National Security and Defense Council.[22]

On January 25, 2014, Arseniy Yatsenyuk was offered a Prime Minister government post by President Viktor Yanukovych but he refused due to the unmet demands. Yatsenyuk said that the people should be making a decision for the future of Ukraine not the present government officials.[23]

2010 presidential election[edit]

On December 16, 2008, Yatsenyuk announced plans to create a political party on basis of the Front of Changes public initiative.[24][25] In an interview with Den of February 4, 2009 he claimed to have no allies among the current politicians.[26] He has often been referred to as a political clone lacking differentiating policies of Ukraine's President, Viktor Yushchenko.[27] According to polls held in the last months of 2008 suggested a political party led by Yatsenyuk would pass the 3 percent election threshold in a Ukrainian parliamentary election.[28][29][30]

On April 5, 2009, Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his candidacy for President of Ukraine in the next presidential election.[31] During the election campaign fellow candidate Serhiy Ratushniak repeatedly insulted Yatsenyuk because of his alleged Jewish roots, among others Ratushniak called Yatsenyuk an "impudent little Jew" who was "successfully serving the thieves who are in power in Ukraine and is using criminal money to plough ahead towards Ukraine's presidency".[32]

Yatsenyuk's presidential campaign was estimated to cost about $60–$70 million.[33] When Yatsenyuk billboards first appeared around Ukraine at the end of June 2009, Yatseniuk was depicted as a military-style leader, while his previous image was that of a "young liberal". Some analysts think that this did not help the campaign.[33] On January 13, 2010 Yatseniuk stated that his election campaign had cost 80 million Hryvnia and that "The number of my advertising posters is ten times less than that of all of my political opponents"; Yatseniuk claimed that funds from his election budget were mainly spent on his appearances on television.[34]

After the elections Yatsenyuk wanted to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada because in his view the parliament would prevent him from working. He also stated in November 2009 that Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko and Party of Regions were "almost a single whole".[35][36]

In late November 2009, he stated he was not interested in "using his votes as bargaining material" for a high political post.[37]

On February 21, 2010 President Yanukovych offered three candidates for Prime Minister of Ukraine: Sergey Tigipko, Yatsenyuk and Party of Regions lawmaker Mykola Azarov.[38] But Yatsenyuk declined this proposal to hold a high post in the new cabinet after the Ukrainian parliament adopted an amendment on March 9, 2010 which enabled independent lawmakers to take part in forming a majority coalition, instead of only parliamentary factions; Yatsenyuk disapproved of this amendment.[39] Instead he called for early parliamentary elections: "Unconstitutional attempts by parliamentarians to form a coalition and a government would deepen the political crisis and the crisis of statehood as such".[40] To be premier in a coalition with communists was unacceptable for Yatsenyuk.[41] Yatsenyuk formed an oppositional government in March 2010, next to another oppositional government headed by Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko, opposing the Azarov Government.[42] In April 2010 Yatsenyuk was officially chosen as party leader of Front for Change; by that time the public initiative had become a political party also.[43]

2012 parliamentary election[edit]

During the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election Yatsenyuk competed on a party list based on the party All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland".[44][45] Yatseniuk stressed in April 2012 "Front of Changes existed and will exist" but also hinted the same month the alliance could lay basis for one single party.[44][46] The party competed on one single party under "umbrella" party "Fatherland", together with several other parties, during the October 2012 parliamentary elections[47][48][49][50][51][52] During the election this list won 62 seats (25.55% of the votes) under the proportional party-list system and another 39 by winning 39 simple-majority constituencies; a total of 101 seats in Parliament.[53] Yatsenyuk headed this election list; because "Fatherland"-leader Yulia Tymoshenko was imprisoned.[54][55] Yatsenyuk was elected leader of the parliamentary faction of "Fatherland" on 12 December 2012.[3]

On 15 June 2013 his Front for Change (party) merged into "Fatherland".[4]

Currently, Arseny Yatsenyuk's father Petro Yatsenyuk works as a deputy dean of the Historical Faculty at the Chernivtsi National University, and his mother, Mariya Yatsenyuk, is a French teacher at one of the Chernivtsi high schools (according to other sources – also at the Chernivtsi University[56]).

Yatsenyuk also has a sister Alina Petrivna Jones (according to other sources – Steel,[56] born 1967), residing in the city of Santa Barbara, California United States.[56]

Yatsenyuk's wife is Tereza Viktorivna (b. 1970), they also have two daughters named Khrystyna and Sofiya.[5][57] Tereza Yatsenyuk was born into a family of philosophers. Her father, Viktor Illarionovych Gur, works as a professor of philosophy at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, her mother Svitlana Mykytivna – PhD, now retired.[56] Yatsenyuk's family lives near Kiev (the village of Novi Petrivtsi, Vyshhorod Raion) since 2003, where he owns a two-storeyed house with an outdoor swimming pool, near the country house belonging to Viktor Yanukovych.[58]

In 2010, Yatsenyuk was victim of a smear campaign from Serhiy Ratushniak, an fellow candidate in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election.[59] The campaign alleged that Yatsenyuk as a “brazen Jew” serving “the interests of thieves who dominate Ukraine” and using money obtained from criminal activities to capture the presidency.[60] According to Chief Rabbi of UkraineYaakov Bleich Yatsenyuk is not Jewish[61]

Political positions[edit]

“Ukraine is still not a democracy”

Yatseniuk does not want Russian to become the second state language in Ukraine.[63]

Yatseniuk wants European Union membership for Ukraine.[64] and he sees this "because this means standards and values – a [high] level of education, medical treatment, pensions, employment, freedoms, new technologies, and progress".[64] Yatseniuk stated late 2009 that in its relations with the European Union, Ukraine should have a visa-free regime with EU countries.[65] Yatseniuk stated on 20 April 2012 it was clear to him that the European Union will not sign the association agreement "until fully fledged democracy is resumed in Ukraine, free and fair elections are held, and the political persecution of opponents is stopped in Ukraine".[66] Yatseniuk is against Ukraine joining the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; according to him "Ukraine's joining the Customs Union means the restoration of the Soviet Union in a slightly different form and with a different name. But this means that the country will become a part of the Russian empire. We know history. We have been there and we don't want to return there".[64] On 21 August 2013 Yatseniuk stated "Russia has decided for some reason that it can be the architect of a new Berlin wall. And, according to Russia’s design, this wall should appear at the border between Ukraine and the European Union".[67]

Yatseniuk is against privatization of state property[68] and wants to simplify the civil service.[69] Yatseniuk has stated in November 2009 that the question of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's withdrawal (then lease was originally supposed to end in 2017)[70] from Ukraine is not currently on the agenda, and the question should be discussed in 2016.[71] Yatseniuk was against the April 21, 2010 agreement in which the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years with an additional five-year renewal option (to 2042–47) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas.[72][73][74] Yatseniuk favours the creation of a special "vice prime minister for Crimean issues"-post.[75]

In November 2009 Yatsenyuk stated that Ukraine's shadow economy "is a part of the current political system in Ukraine and that's why taking business out of the shadows will only be possible via a change in this system". In November 2009 he saw as his most difficult task if elected President "to break the political clan system that has been built up over the last 18 years".[76] Yatsenyuk wants to create a common energy company with European Union countries and Russia.[40]

According to Yatsenyuk it will be impossible to fight corruption without changing the country's system of government, "The system of government in Ukraine has in fact remained the same as it was under the Soviet Union".[77]

Late July 2010 Yatsenyuk wrote a draft law which proposed to fine officials for violating the law "On Appeals by Citizens", thus holding officials personally accountable for ignoring the complaints of citizens.[78]

In November 2009 he proposed that a referendum be held on if Ukraine should have an open list voting system.[35] Yatseniuk is in favour of holding referenda, he calls this "nationalization of state power".[79] The amendment of the terms and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Ukraine and a decision on Ukraine's membership of NATO and other military alliances are according to Yatsenyuk only possible through a referendum.[40]

Yatseniuk has stated the convicted politicians Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko should be released and has proposed/written laws to make this happen.[80][nb 1] He also believes their convictions are a "difficult obstacle on Ukraine's path to the European Union."[64] Early December 2012 he stated to dialogue with the authorities only after Tymoshenko and Lutsenko were released.[64]

Yatseniuk opposes participation of Ukrainian troops in peacekeeping operations abroad.[82]

Yatseniuk opposes same-sex marriage, which is at odds with his personal beliefs.[83]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^After the parliamentary elections in Ukraine: a tough victory for the Party of Regions, Centre for Eastern Studies (7 November 2012)
2. ^Ukraine's united opposition discussing formation of single party, Kyiv Post (7 December 2012)
3. ^ abFive factions, including Communist Party, registered in parliament, Kyiv Post (12 December 2012)
4. ^ abSobolev: Front for Change and Reform and Order Party to join Batkivschyna, Interfax-Ukraine (11 June 2013)Front for Change, Reforms and Order to dissolve for merger with Batkivshchyna - Sobolev, Ukrinform (11 June 2013))
5. ^ abcdef"Biography from Radio Svoboda" (in Ukrainian). Radio Svoboda. 2007-03-21. 
6. ^ abcde(Russian)"Яценюк Арсений Петрович". Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА". 
7. ^Laws of Ukraine. Presidential decree No. 1372/2005: On the appointment of A. Yatsenyuk as the Minister of Economics of Ukraine. Passed on 2005-09-27. (Ukrainian)
8. ^Laws of Ukraine. Presidential decree No. 765/2006: On the appointment of A. Yatsenyuk as the First Vice-president of the Head of Administration of the President of Ukraine – Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Passed on 2006-09-20. (Ukrainian)
9. ^Laws of Ukraine. Order of Verkhovna Rada No. 792-V: On appointment of Arseniy Yatsenyuk as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Passed on 2007-03-21. (Ukrainian)
10. ^"Result of voting on appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs" (in Ukrainian). 2007-03-21. 
11. ^"Ukraine minister gets "orange" OK for speaker job". Reuters. 2007-12-03. 
12. ^Laws of Ukraine. Order of Verkhovna Rada No. 5-VI: On the Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Passed on 2007-12-04. (Ukrainian)
13. ^"Yatsenyuk – Speaker" (in Ukrainian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 2007-12-04. 
14. ^"Rada Vote Counting Commission Finds Vote To Dismiss Yatseniuk Invalid". Ukrainian News Agency. November 11, 2008. 
15. ^"Yatseniuk Might Withdraw His Request Of Resignation If Rada Refuses To Satisfy It". Ukrainian News Agency. November 11, 2008. 
16. ^"BYT Against Dismissal Of Yatseniuk". Ukrainian News Agency. November 11, 2008. 
17. ^"Rada Dismisses Yatseniuk". Ukrainian News Agency. November 12, 2008. 
18. ^"President Yuschenko: Dismissal Of Yatseniuk Aimed Against Stabilization Of Situation In Country". Ukrainian News Agency. November 12, 2008. 
19. ^"Verkhovna Rada ousts Yatseniuk as Speaker". UNIAN. November 12, 2008. 
20. ^"Speaker resigns, Rada accepts". Kyiv Post. November 12, 2008. 
21. ^"Yatseniuk's party to differ from Blend-a-med". UNIAN. 2008-10-15. 
22. ^"Yuschenko Withdraws Yatseniuk From NSDC". Ukrainian News Agency. November 21, 2008. 
23. ^DTSearch (January 27, 2014). "Ukraine Parliamentary Leader Yatsenyuk Refuses PM Post". Daily Trending Search. Retrieved January 27, 2014. 
24. ^"Yatseniuk to create political party". UNIAN. 2008-12-16. 
25. ^"Election list of the party (bloc)". Central Election Commission of Ukraine. Retrieved 2007-12-04. 
26. ^Yatseniuk says he has no allies among Ukrainian politicians, UNIAN (February 4, 2009)
27. ^"Yatsenyuk, a Yushchenko clone, will bring stagnation". Taras Kuzio. Kyiv Post. April 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04. [dead link]
28. ^BYT, Regions Party, Communist Party, Bloc Of Lytvyn, And Bloc Of Yatseniuk Might Override 3% Election Threshold, According To FOM-Ukraine Poll, Ukrainian News Agency (November 26, 2008)
29. ^Razumkov Centre
30. ^Angus Reid Global Monitor January 18, 2009
31. ^"Yatsenyuk will be on the ballot for the office of President of Ukraine". Korrespondent.net. April 5, 2009. Archived from the original on April 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-07. 
32. ^Anti-Semitic Ukraine mayor to run for president, Jerusalem Post (November 17, 2009)
33. ^ abPaid advisers descend on candidates, nation, Kyiv Post (November 19, 2009)
34. ^Yatseniuk spends Hr 80 million on his election campaign, Kyiv Post (January 13, 2010)
35. ^ abYatseniuk proposes referendum on switch to open-list elections to parliament, Interfax-Ukraine (November 23, 2009)
36. ^Yatseniuk says Tymoshenko, Yanukovych will unite if parliament not dissolved, Kyiv Post (December 7, 2009)
37. ^Yatseniuk not interested in becoming prime minister, Kyiv Post (November 29, 2009)
38. ^Yanukovych has yet to secure ruling majority in parliament, Kyiv Post (February 25, 2010)
39. ^Key Ukrainian politician Arseniy Yatsenyuk declines premiership, RIA Novosti (March 9, 2010)
40. ^ abcYatseniuk proposes early parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (March 8, 2010)
41. ^Yatseniuk: I don't want to be premier in coalition without clear ideological principles, Kyiv Post (March 10, 2010)
42. ^Yatseniuk to introduce his oppositional government by end March, Kyiv Post (March 18, 2010)
43. ^Justice Ministry: Yatseniuk registered as Front for Change party leader, Kyiv Post (April 12, 2009)
44. ^ ab(Ukrainian)"ФРОНТ ЗМІН" ІДЕ В РАДУ З "БАТЬКІВЩИНОЮ", Ukrayinska Pravda (7 April 2012)Yatseniuk wants to meet with Tymoshenko to discuss reunion of opposition, Kyiv Post (7 April 2012)
45. ^Process of unification of opposition finished, says Yatseniuk, Kyiv Post (4 July 2012)
46. ^Unification of opposition could lay basis for single party, says Yatseniuk, Kyiv Post (23 April 2012)
47. ^(Ukrainian)Соціально-християнська партія вирішила приєднатися до об'єднаної опозиції, Den (newspaper) (24 April 2012)
48. ^Oppositon to form single list to participate in parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (2 March 2012)(Ukrainian)"ФРОНТ ЗМІН" ІДЕ В РАДУ З "БАТЬКІВЩИНОЮ", Ukrayinska Pravda (7 April 2012)Yatseniuk wants to meet with Tymoshenko to discuss reunion of opposition, Kyiv Post (7 April 2012)
49. ^(Ukrainian)Tymoshenko and Yatsenyuk united ("Тимошенко та Яценюк об'єдналися"), Ukrayinska Pravda (23 April 2012)
50. ^Civil Position party joins Ukraine's united opposition, Kyiv Post (20 June 2012)
51. ^Ukrainian opposition parties agree to form single list for 2012 elections, Kyiv Post (23 January 2012)
52. ^Oppositon to form single list to participate in parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (2 March 2012)
53. ^(Ukrainian)Proportional votes & Constituency seats, Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine% of total seats, Ukrayinska Pravda
54. ^They Call Themselves the Opposition, The Ukrainian Week (31 August 2012)
55. ^(Ukrainian)Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
56. ^ abcdЯценюк нашел жену в банке, а с первой красавицей Украины учился в одной школе
57. ^"Arseniy Yatsenyuk. New millioner in Yanukovich's Cabmin" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 2007-03-21. 
58. ^Внутри резиденции Виктора Януковича – бассейн и кенгуру
59. ^Political Pulse: Presidential field takes shape, Kyiv Post (November 11, 2009)
60. ^With election, change for Ukraine, but likely not for Jews, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (February 22, 2010 )
61. ^Ukrainian Jews want mayor charged for slurs, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (August 10, 2009)
62. ^Yatseniuk: Ukraine is still not a democracy, Kyiv Post (September 17, 2011)
63. ^Yatseniuk: Ukrainian must be only state language in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (November 28, 2009)
64. ^ abcdeYatseniuk:Prosecution of Tymoshenko, Lutsenko hinders Ukraine-EU integration, Kyiv Post (4 December 2012)
65. ^Yatseniuk: meaningless foreign policy has been conducted over whole period of Ukraine's independence, Kyiv Post (December 8, 2009)
66. ^Yatseniuk: No EU association agreement without fully fledged democracy in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (20 April 2012)
67. ^Yatseniuk: Russia plays its last card by banning Ukrainian exports, Interfax-Ukraine (21 August 2013)
68. ^Yatseniuk again pushes for moratorium on privatization, Kyiv Post (September 29, 2009)
69. ^Yatseniuk says state management system should be simplified, Kyiv Post (October 12, 2009)
70. ^No Russian fleet in Ukraine beyond 2017 -Ukrainian PM, UNIAN (24-09-2008)
71. ^Yatseniuk says question of Russian fleet's presence in Ukraine should be postponed until 2016, Kyiv Post (November 9, 2009)
72. ^Deal Struck on Gas, Black Sea Fleet, The Moscow Times (April 21, 2010)
73. ^Yatseniuk calls on president not to submit Russian naval base deal to parliament for ratification, Kyiv Post (April 22, 2010)
74. ^Agreement on Black Sea Fleet may be denounced, says Yatseniuk, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
75. ^Yatseniuk: Crimea should become 'Ukrainian Hong Kong', Kyiv Post (November 11, 2009)
76. ^Yatseniuk: Business will come out of shadows only via change of political system, Kyiv Post (November 19, 2009)
77. ^Yatseniuk sees no prospects for reforming Ukraine without fight against corruption, Kyiv Post (April 19, 2010)
78. ^Yatseniuk: Officials should be held personally accountable for ignoring the complaints of citizens, Kyiv Post (July 30, 2010)
79. ^If elected president, Yatseniuk promises to transfer power to the people, Kyiv Post (December 4, 2009)
80. ^Yatseniuk proposes amnesty for Tymoshenko and Lutsenko this year, Kyiv Post (14 March 2012)
81. ^Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych pardons Yulia Tymoshenko allies, BBC News (8 April 2013)Ukrainian leader Yanukovych pardons Tymoshenko ally, BBC News (7 April 2013)Ukrainian president pardons Lutsenko and Filipchuk – decree, Interfax-Ukraine (7 April 2013)
82. ^Yatseniuk against participation of Ukrainian troops in peacekeeping operations abroad, Kyiv Post (January 11, 2010)
83. ^Leading Ukraine Opposition figure surprises supporters by denouncing gay marriage, LGBT Weekly (March 20, 2013)
84. ^Указ Президента України № 108/2008 від 7 лютого 2008 року «Про відзначення державними нагородами України»
85. ^Арсеній Яценюк нагороджений медаллю «На славу Чернівців» // Чернівецький інформаційно-розважальний портал CITI.cv.ua, 04 жовтня 2008

External links[edit]