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The IWP have personally asked the candidates to answer a questionnaire, which contains 17 indicative questionsAnswers of Petro Poroshenko, a candidate for Ukraine’s president
1. In your opinion, should Ukraine elect a president, which is oriented toward our country’s integration with the European Union?
— For me, the answer is obvious: because I have consistently advocated the idea of Ukraine’s European integration. I had the privilege to be involved in working on the Association Agreement with the EU in the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Co-Chair of the Committee on Parliamentary Cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. The idea of European integration has long been a unifying concept for Ukrainians, and our Euromaidan proves this. Russian aggression against Ukraine, the annexation of the Crimea and the destabilization of the situation in the east of the country have even more convinced Ukrainians about the European integration. It is impossible to neglect this choice.
2. Should the new president complete the signing of the current edition of the Association Agreement? (as everybody knows, the first signatures were put on it on March 21)
— Definitely. I have always advocated the inalienability of the economic part of the Agreement from the political one, as well as I believe in the correlation between political, economic and freedom of movement of people. Therefore, in addition to the signing of the economic part, we should also get a visa-free regime with the EU.
3. Do you speak English? If yes, what is your level?
а) I do not speak or elementary level.
b) I can understand my collocutor, but I need considerable assistance for communication.
c) I am fluent in English or I can talk about free topics without an interpreter. (highlighted by the candidate)
— I am fluent in English.
4. Do you know other European languages at “fluent” or “almost fluent” level? If yes, please specify which ones?
— In total I speak three European languages: English, Russian and Romanian.
5. Which European politicians have you communicated with (personal meeting or telephone conversation) in the last two months? Name five the most prominent collocutors.
—With almost all key players in European politics. In particular, José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission; Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament; François Hollande, the President of France; David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Thorbjorn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
6. Which first capitals abroad will you visit after being elected to the presidency?
• first: Brussels
• second: Washington
• third: Beijing
7. Do you have experts on the EU/European integration issues in your team?
—Of course. The very notion of the European integration brings together many areas and competencies, as it is not only foreign policy but also, and especially, domestic transformations. In my team, there are many successful politicians and professionals who contribute to the European integration. These are, in particular, Vitali Klitschko, Yuriy Lutsenko, Iryna Gerashchenko, Igor Hryniv, Viktor Pynzenyk. In addition, since my work in Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I have developed great relationships with many Ukrainian diplomats. Thus, Valeriy Chaly, who worked as my deputy in Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, heads the international department at the headquarters of the campaign.
8. Name three main things (in particular, system reforms, but you may choose another option) which you, as the president, are planning to do in the short term for the sake of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.
• first: zero tolerance to corruption at all levels
• second: deregulation and creation of transparent environment for business, especially, development of small and medium businesses
• third: reform of power forces and law enforcement system in order to ensure the safety of Ukrainian citizens
9. Do you plan, if elected, to apply for Ukraine’s membership in the EU? If yes, when?
а) No, I do not plan. It is too early to talk about it at the moment.
b) Yes, I plan, but there is no need to hurry. Only after Ukraine fulfils the Copenhagen criteria.
c) Yes, it should be done in the nearest future (as an option – this year, when signing the Association Agreement). (highlighted by the candidate)
— The intention to launch negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the EU by the end of my presidency.The application will be submitted in due course.
10. Can you name a list of possible candidates for the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which you will present to the Verkhovna Rada if elected to the presidency?
—There are some decent diplomats who have proven their principled stand in the most difficult times. Also, I have strict criteria, such as patriotism, professionalism, honesty, and the list is defined by these criteria.
11. Name three world politicians who are currently in office and whose work you appreciate the most.
• Dalia Grybauskaite
• Shinzo Abe
• Angela Merkel
12. Name three “retired” world politicians, who are not in office now, and who are a model or example for you.
— I will name those who impressed me and whose ideas I share:
• Margaret Thatcher
• Ronald Reagan
• Vaclav Havel
13. Do you support the implementation of a constitutional reform with reconsideration of the authority for branches of power, and do you plan to be involved in this process?
а) I do not support the implementation of such reform in the short term.
b) I support, and I guarantee my non-involvement.
c) I support, and I intend to be involved and take an active part in this process. (highlighted by the candidate)
— I support, and I intend to be involved and take an active part in this process. Furthermore, this process must be complete with power decentralization and devolution.
14. Do you plan to support the adoption of the law against discrimination, including discrimination against sexual minorities, which Ukraine is to adopt according to the Action plan on the visa liberalization?
— Indeed, the issue has been already resolved. We have, also, a good chance to start the implementation of the second stage of this plan by the end of the year. Everything depends on the teamwork of the president, parliament and government. I believe we can do it.
15. Will you support the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Ukraine?
—Yes, and I do my best to accelerate this process.
16. Do you have your own (or under your control) business? If yes, how do you plan to abolish the conflict of interest if elected to the presidency?
— I have already announced my decision, and I emphasize again — in order to avoid any conflict of interest I will sell all my business once elected to the presidency of Ukraine.
17. What is the origin of the 2.5 mln. hryvnias of the election deposit you have paid when registered as a candidate for the presidency?
— I have officially reported my income of the last year. This is my own money.

Answers of Anatoliy Grytsenko, a candidate for Ukraine’s president

1. In your opinion, should Ukraine elect a president, which is oriented toward our country’s integration with the European Union?
— Yes. The European integration is written in the law and supported by the majority of Ukrainian citizens.
2. Should the new president complete the signing of the current edition of the Association Agreement? (as everybody knows, the first signatures were put on it on March 21)
— Definitely. Since November 29, 2013 I have demanded to get back to the consideration of the signing of the Association Agreement and the FTA. I believed that it should have been signed right after the downfall of Yanukovych’s regime.
3. Do you speak English? If yes, what is your level?
а) I do not speak or elementary level.
b) I can understand my collocutor, but I need considerable assistance for communication.
c) I am fluent in English or I can talk about free topics without an interpreter. (highlighted by the candidate)
— I am fluent in English. I studied in the USA, gave lectures in Harvard University. In the position of the Minister, I communicated without an interpreter. Now I also communicate in English with ambassadors of other countries and give interviews.
4. Do you know other European languages at “fluent” or “almost fluent” level? If yes, please specify which ones?
— I read in Polish.
5. Which European politicians have you communicated with (personal meeting or telephone conversation) in the last two months? Name five the most prominent collocutors.
— I do not make them public.
6. Which first capitals abroad will you visit after being elected to the presidency?
• first: Warsaw;
• second: Brussels;
• third: Washington.
7. Do you have experts on the EU/European integration issues in your team?
— Yes.
8. Name three main things (in particular, system reforms, but you may choose another option) which you, as the president, are planning to do in the short term for the sake of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.
• first: harmonization of anti-corruption legislation and security policy that will contribute to overcoming of the economic crisis, creation of a favorable business climate and to protection of the European space from external aggressors;
• second: promotion of changes, leading to visa libe¬ralization;
• three: an integrated energy policy.
9. Do you plan, if elected, to apply for Ukraine’s membership in the EU? If yes, when?
а) No, I do not plan. It is too early to talk about it at the moment.
b) Yes, I plan, but there is no need to hurry. Only after Ukraine fulfils the Copenhagen criteria.
c) Yes, it should be done in the nearest future (as an option – this year, when signing the Association Agreement). (highlighted by the candidate)
— There is a long way to go from the time of application till the admission.The sooner we start, the sooner we consolidate our choice and the intend to be guided in state development by the Copenhagen criteria, which are mentioned above.The practice of the accession to the EU provides for the permanent monitoring of the criteria. This will induce the irreversibility of processes and reforms.
10. Can you name a list of possible candidates for the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which you will present to the Verkhovna Rada if elected to the presidency?
— I will name them after the first round. They are decent professionals. Experts now their names today already.
11. Name three world politicians who are currently in office and whose work you appreciate the most.
• Dalia Grybauskaite
• Benjamin Netanyahu
• John McCain
— Unfortunately, we live in a world that lacks strong leaders. The Ukrainian crisis (in the international context) has proven this once again.
12. Name three “retired” world politicians, who are not in office now, and who are a model or example for you.
• Lee Kuan Yew
• Margaret Thatcher
• Vaclav Havel
13. Do you support the implementation of a constitutional reform with reconsideration of the authority for branches of power, and do you plan to be involved in this process?
а) I do not support the implementation of such reform in the short term.
b) I support, and I guarantee my non-involvement.
c) I support, and I intend to be involved and take an active part in this process.
— The constitutional reform was not on the agenda. However, given that it has already started, presidential candidates have to know what is the authority of the next president.
14. Do you plan to support the adoption of the law against discrimination, including discrimination against sexual minorities, which Ukraine is to adopt according to the Action plan on the visa liberalization?
— Yes
15. Will you support the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Ukraine?
— Certainly
16. Do you have your own (or under your control) business? If yes, how do you plan to abolish the conflict of interest if elected to the presidency?
— It is easy to separate business from government and force officials to live on salary, because, myself, I have neither business nor offshore company and foreign accounts.
17. What is the origin of the 2.5 mln. hryvnias of the election deposit you have paid when registered as a candidate for the presidency?
— I talk about this openly from the beginning: these are donations from associates (Oleg Kanivets, Yevgen Utkin, Oleksiy Gavrylov, Igor Pukshin, activists of Katerynchuk’s European Party).

Answers of Olga Bogomolets, a candidate for Ukraine’s president

1. In your opinion, should Ukraine elect a president, which is oriented toward our country’s integration with the European Union?
— Yes, it should. However, the development of the EU in terms of Ukraine’s interests and changes in foreign policy, which are happening now, must be taken into consideration.
2. Should the new president complete the signing of the current edition of the Association Agreement? (as everybody knows, the first signatures were put on it on March 21)
— Considering the politically unstable situation in Ukraine, a need for cardinal reforms has emerged, we require complete changes in the society and development of a new appropriate agreement with the European Union.
3. Do you speak English? If yes, what is your level?
а) I do not speak or elementary level.
b) I can understand my collocutor, but I need considerable assistance for communication.
c) I am fluent in English or I can talk about free topics without an interpreter. (highlighted by the candidate)
— I am fluent in English, and I give lectures, interviews to Western media, in particular, to CNN, without an interpreter.
4. Do you know other European languages at “fluent” or “almost fluent” level? If yes, please specify which ones?
— I speak Russian fluently and have a beginner’s level of German
5. Which European politicians have you communicated with (personal meeting or telephone conversation) in the last two months? Name five the most prominent collocutors.
— Catherine Ashton, John McCain, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Mikheil Saakashvili, Francis Martin O’Donnell.
6. Which first capitals abroad will you visit after being elected to the presidency?
• first: Brussels;
• second: Washington;
• third: Beijing.
7. Do you have experts on the EU/European integration issues in your team?
— Yes (Lanovyi, Ostash, Puzyrko and others).
8. Name three main things (in particular, system reforms, but you may choose another option) which you, as the president, are planning to do in the short term for the sake of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.
• first: reorganization of national and local government bodies, law enforcement and judicial authorities;
• second: introduction of a competitive market economy system;
• third: decentralization of power and formation of civil society institutions.
9. Do you plan, if elected, to apply for Ukraine’s membership in the EU? If yes, when?
а) No, I do not plan. It is too early to talk about it at the moment.
b) Yes, I plan, but there is no need to hurry. Only after Ukraine fulfils the Copenhagen criteria. (highlighted by the candidate)
c) Yes, it should be done in the nearest future (as an option — this year, when signing the Association Agreement).
— Yes but there is no need to hurry. Only after implementation of reforms, complete stabilization of the political situation and fulfilment by Ukraine of the Copenhagen criteria.
10. Can you name a list of possible candidates for the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which you will present to the Verkhovna Rada if elected to the presidency?
— These will be new, young, highly educated people.
11. Name three world politicians who are currently in office and whose work you appreciate the most.
• Carl Bildt
• John McCain
• Angela Merkel
12. Name three “retired” world politicians, who are not in office now, and who are a model or example for you.
• Indira Gandhi
• Margaret Thatcher
• Vaclav Havel
13. Do you support the implementation of a constitutional reform with reconsideration of the authority for branches of power, and do you plan to be involved in this process?
а) I do not support the implementation of such reform in the short term.
b) I support, and I guarantee my non-involvement.
c) I support, and I intend to be involved and take an active part in this process. (highlighted by the candidate)
— I support, and I intend to take an active part in this process
14. Do you plan to support the adoption of the law against discrimination, including discrimination against sexual minorities, which Ukraine is to adopt according to the Action plan on the visa liberalization?
— Discrimination on any grounds is inadmissible. This is stated in the Ukrainian Constitution (Chapter.2 Article 24). There is no need to adopt a law on this issue.
15. Will you support the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Ukraine?
— Yes. I support the ratification of the Rome Statute by Ukraine
16. Do you have your own (or under your control) business? If yes, how do you plan to abolish the conflict of interest if elected to the presidency?
— Yes, I have my own business. However, if elected to the presidency of Ukraine, I, in accordance with the current legislation, will hand over the control of my companies and corporate rights to another person, and I will cease business and other paid activity (except for teaching, research and creative work and medical practice).
17. What is the origin of the 2.5 mln. hryvnias of the election deposit you have paid when registered as a candidate for the presidency?
— The election deposit which I have paid when registered as a candidate for the Ukrainian presidency had been raised with transparent and open optional contributions of Ukraine’s citizens.

Answers of Yulia Tymoshenko, a candidate for Ukraine’s president

1. In your opinion, should Ukraine elect a president, which is oriented toward our country’s integration with the European Union?
— Yes. Ukraine needs to elect a pro-European president
2. Should the new president complete the signing of the current edition of the Association Agreement? (as everybody knows, the first signatures were put on it on March 21)
— Yes, he should. Furthermore, immediately after the signing of the Agreement, the issue of Ukraine’s membership in the EU must be raised. Moreover, the European Parliament has recently passed a resolution that explicitly states that Ukraine has the right to become a full member of the European Union.
3. Do you speak English? If yes, what is your level?
а) I do not speak or elementary level.
b) I can understand my collocutor, but I need considerable assistance for communication. (highlighted by the candidate)
c) I am fluent in English or I can talk about free topics without an interpreter.
4. Do you know other European languages at « fluent » or “almost fluent” level? If yes, please specify which ones?
— No.
5. Which European politicians have you communicated with (personal meeting or telephone conversation) in the last two months? Name five the most prominent collocutors.
• Angela Merkel;
• Štefan Füle;
• Elmar Brok.
6. Which first capitals abroad will you visit after being elected to the presidency?
• first: Brussels
• second: Washington
• third: Moscow.
7. Do you have experts on the EU/European integration issues in your team?
— Yes. In particular, Hryhoriy Nemyria, Borys Tarasyuk, Sergiy Sobolev and others.
8. Name three main things (in particular, system reforms, but you may choose another option) which you, as the president, are planning to do in the short term for the sake of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU.
• first: eradication of corruption
• second: judicial and prosecution reform
• third: deregulation of business.
9. Do you plan, if elected, to apply for Ukraine’s membership in the EU? If yes, when?
а) No, I do not plan. It is too early to talk about it at the moment.
b) Yes, I plan, but there is no need to hurry. Only after Ukraine fulfils the Copenhagen criteria.
c) Yes, it should be done in the nearest future (as an option — this year, when signing the Association Agreement). (highlighted by the candidate)
10. Can you name a list of possible candidates for the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which you will present to the Verkhovna Rada if elected to the presidency?
— Hryhoriy Nemyria, Borys Tarasyuk and others.
11. Name three world politicians who are currently in office and whose work you appreciate the most.
• Angela Merkel;
• Donald Tusk;
• Pope Francis.
12. Name three “retired” world politicians, who are not in office now, and who are a model or example for you.
• Margaret Thatcher;
• Mikheil Saakashvili;
• Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore.
13. Do you support the implementation of a constitutional reform with reconsideration of the authority for branches of power, and do you plan to be involved in this process?
а) I do not support the implementation of such reform in the short term.
b) I support, and I guarantee my non-involvement.
c) I support, and I intend to be involved and take an active part in this process. (highlighted by the candidate)
14. Do you plan to support the adoption of the law against discrimination, including discrimination against sexual minorities, which Ukraine is to adopt according to the Action plan on the visa liberalization?
— As far as I know, this requirement has been removed from the agenda as a result of negotiations conducted by the current government.
15. Will you support the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Ukraine?
— Yes. It will give Ukraine the right to appeal to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to stop the military seizure of Ukraine and bring to justice those who have committed crimes against humanity.
16. Do you have your own (or under your control) business? If yes, how do you plan to abolish the conflict of interest if elected to the presidency?
— I do not have; I am a politician, not a businessman.
17. What is the origin of the 2.5 mln. hryvnias of the election deposit you have paid when registered as a candidate for the presidency?
— This money is allocated by the “Batkivshchyna” party.

Full version of the study is here.