News Item - Tymoshenko nominated as Ukraine PM

The BBC is reporting that Yulia Tymoshenko has been nominated to again become that nation’s prime minister. Tymoshenko and current Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko were the driving force behind the Orange Revolution that swept their pro-western government into power in 2005.

Managing power though has proven to be far more difficult in Ukraine than obtaining it. Yushchenko and Tymoshenko during their first partnership quickly had a falling out, leading to her being forced out of the PM’s job after only a few months. Since then the wide-ranging reforms promised in the Orange Revolution (including membership in both NATO and the European Union) have largely failed to materialize.

In elections earlier this year the Party of Regions, led by the pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych actually received the largest share of the votes, but did not win enough seats to form a government in the parliament. Tymoshenko and Yushchenko have now again joined their parties together to form a coalition government, though it is hard to see why the partnership will be successful now when it failed two years ago amid the hope and optimism of the Orange Revolution.