The Ukrainian coalition agreement

On 21 November 2014, following nearly four weeks of negotiations, the leaders of five political parties (People’s Front, Petro Poroshenko Bloc, Self Reliance, Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko and Batkivshchyna) initialled a draft coalition agreement that will set the agenda for the future government. It will be possible to officially sign this document after the newly elected Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) has been sworn in; and this is likely to take place on 27 or 28 November. The agreement is quite a voluminous document and sets an ambitious reform agenda covering almost all areas of state governance, ranging from a thorough amendment of electoral law to far-reaching economic reform, and it would see Ukraine relinquish its status as a country remaining outside any international blocs and to resume efforts linked to joining NATO. Most of these changes are planned to be introduced in 2015. The implementation of these tasks will require an enormous effort from parliament and the government. Political stability will also be necessary and this may be very difficult to achieve.