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Novel politician Volodymyr Zelensky won the presidential election in Ukraine on Sunday (April 21st), with an overwhelming majority against outgoing Petro Poroshenko.
With our special correspondent in Kiev, Anastasia Becchio , and our correspondent Sébastien Gobert
With 70% of the votes cast, the actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy wins more than 73% of the votes, against less than 24.6% for the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko . No Ukrainian presidential candidate had received such massive support across the country, from Western Ukrainian to Eastern Russian speakers.
A period of uncertainty opens
Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and several other Western leaders have called Volodymyr Zelenskiy to congratulate him. And this Sunday, in the joy of victory at the headquarters of Volodymyr Zelensky, we felt in his supporters a sense of concern about the challenges ahead and the high expectations of the population.
Five years after the Maidan revolution, voters tired of corruption, poverty and war, are once again hungry for change and place their hopes in this novice in politics . The most difficult now begins for Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has been deliberately unclear about his program and strategic priorities. He will have to reveal them to his constituents and to a hostile Parliament. His team claims to have a plan to quickly pass a series of shock measures on the fight against corruption.
Strong opposition
The choice of voters is a bet. "Should we worry or hope for the best? In the Ukrainian media, experts are developing the scenarios that await the country.
Among the questions: what will be the extent of the powers of the winner of the vote? It would be in his interest to dissolve Parliament and not wait for the legislative elections scheduled for October to take advantage of the euphoria of the moment. But it is not certain to have the time. And then, the losers of the first and second round are in ambush, starting with Petro Poroshenko, fighting on Sunday night in front of his supporters, despite his scathing defeat: " Zelensky will have a strong opposition, very strong, " predicted the president. outgoing, warning: " we did not win the battle but we did not lose the war ".
Volodymyr Zelenskiy's room for maneuver should be reduced before the legislative elections scheduled for October, apart from some general foreign policy orientations. Volodymyr Zelenskiy is eagerly awaited on a revival of peace talks with Vladimir Putin . The new president will take an oath on June 6.
►Also read: Volodymyr Zelensky, the surprise of the Ukrainian presidential