Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/236916
18 Opinion maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 JANUARY 2014 Stefano Mallia A view from the inside It was like something out of a film. High barricades made of wood, tyres, ice and various other materials close off the centre of Kiev. Within the barricaded area are hundreds of tents and thousands of people strolling peacefully or carrying out various chores. Hot food and sandwiches are distributed to all and sundry from specific points, while trucks bring firewood to help the protestors fight the biting cold. Tens of thousands are gathered in Independence Square listening to political speeches and participating in various songs. Maidan Square is awash with Ukrainian and EU flags. This is the scene that greeted me as I arrived in Kiev just last week. I was in Kiev as part of a small team from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) that was sent there on a fact-finding mission. More specifically, our goal was to establish the facts on the ground, make contact with civil society and deliver a message of support to the protest movement. While having followed closely the media reports emanating from Kiev, in reality nothing could have prepared me for the intense experience I was to go through. Having arrived in the evening and with the rest of the team arriving at different times, I decided to head straight to Maidan Square to see for myself what was taking place. Having purposely lodged close to the Square, the place was easy to locate. People were strolling in and out of the barricaded area at will and a jovial atmosphere reigned throughout the crowd. Nobody seemed to mind the biting cold and the various calls from the speakers on centre-stage were met with a determined chorus from the crowd. The police were nowhere to be seen. It all left me wondering whether this was the same place that witnessed considerable violence a few days earlier. I did however get an inkling of the tension that lay beneath when at some point the protest organisers seemed to be getting nervous and started closing off the various entrances to the area. The following days were very intensely packed with meetings with various social partners, representatives of civil society and Opposition leaders. We were in Kiev just a few days after Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych had signed an agree- ment with Russia which essentially saw Putin pledge some $20 billion in financial aid and cheaper gas. The feeling amongst many is that this is just about enough to prevent the economy from collapsing and to see Yanukovych survive till 2015, the time of the next Presidential elections. There was a clear sense of anger and frustration that the agreement had been signed. A number of social partners had no qualms in claiming that their country had been sold to Russia and that they expected the government to become more intransigent now that the agreement had been signed. From our end we were interested in understanding what they expected from the EU at this particular point in time. The expectations are various, from visafree travel for all Ukrainians to the promise of EU membership following the undertaking of specific reforms. On the latter, they were extremely critical of the EU for not having given this promise from the very start, a promise which they feel would have given greater impetus to their pro-EU movement. Next up was a meeting with the leaders of civil society. Rather eerily, this meeting took place in a government building which however did not seem to concern those present. What emerged from this meeting was that while they were keen to see Yanukovych replaced, what they really wanted was a change in the way things are done. Their mantra was, "We don't want to only see a change of faces but more importantly we want to see a change in the way the country is run". They wanted immediate ties with the EU and a promise of fair elections. And here some criticism of the way the Opposition was running the protests started to emerge. They felt that civil society was not being included enough. The meeting with the Opposition parties confirmed this divergence. The Opposition parties are clearly pursuing early elections. The ties or otherwise with the EU are now of secondary importance. Our meetings with the different political leaders took place in different venues. One took place in the occupied Town Hall, while another took place in a tent with the third being with Vitaly Klitschko, the former heavyweight champion, taking place in a cafeteria. Stefano Mallia was in Kiev as part of a small team from the European Economic and Social Committee, sent there on a fact-finding mission Klitschko was impressive in terms of calmness, politeness and clarity of thought. While all three Opposition leaders want the removal of the current president, it is still not clear whether they will choose one Opposition leader that will challenge Yanukovych although it would seem that Klitschko has the greatest momentum behind him. In between meetings we were taken to various points – logistics centre, sleeping quarters, media centre, infirmary and canteen. What impresses most is the incredible organisation that has been set up by the protestors. They have created a village from nothing, and one which operates smoothly. Despite having all public cleansing services stopped by the government, the place was spotless. At the end of the mission, the question we asked was 'what now'? Both sides are too heavily committed to turn back. The Opposition has created a movement now known as the Maidan movement involving thousands of people and have effectively taken over the city centre. On the other hand, the government is now firmly committed with Russia and unwilling to step down. The New Year call for national unity by President Yanukovych would seem to offer some hope but many are sceptical of this. The general feeling is that he will not repeat the mistake of once again perpetuating violence, but will rather let the protests fizzle out as the cold starts to take its toll. On the other hand, Klitschko has pledged to fight to the end. At the moment things are at a stalemate with no obvious conclusion in sight. What is certain is that uncertainty continues to reign supreme. How it will all unravel is at the moment anyone's guess. Stefano Mallia is a Nationalist candidate in the forthcoming European Parliamentary elections