Democracy, Populism, and Neoliberalism in Ukraine: On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real

Description

This book explores the reasons behind the unexpected rise to power of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian with no political background, and offers an in-depth analysis of the populist messages he delivered to the Ukrainian people via his TV show. Taking a discourse analysis approach, the author draws on two main arguments of critical scholarship: the “populist explosion” of the recent decade came as a reaction to the inequalities and injustices of the global neoliberal order, and the success of neoliberalism can be explained by its ability to mask itself under attractive progressive covers. Developing these lines of argument, the book demonstrates not only how the “populist explosion” can lead to further neoliberalization, but also that the euphemizing effect can be achieved by mixing the virtual and the real, as in the case of Zelensky. This first of its kind study will resonate with any scholar or upper-level student working on populism, neoliberalism, political communication, media studies, political science, European studies, Ukrainian studies, and discourse analysis. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The Populist Explosion as a Reaction to the Neoliberal Order The Return of the Repressed The Legacy of Perestroika The Euromaidan and Its “Deplorables” 2 Euphemizing the Neoliberal Promise Mythologizing Capitalism Progressive Neoliberalism Empty Signifier: Methodological Foundations 3 The People vs. The Elites From Comedian to President Holoborodko and His People The Constitutive Outside Antagonistic Frontier 4 On the Fringes of the Virtual and the Real: Simulating the Political The Virtual-Real Election Platform Zelensky’s Party Machine Holoborodko-Zelensky-Holoborodko 5 “Do Not Sell Our Motherland!”: Zelensky’s Land Reform The Motherland Against the People’s Will 6 “To Bury Communism”: A Failure of the Modernization Rhetoric of the “Servants” The Communist Specter The Battle for Stalingrad Moralizing the Political 7 The Post-Political Tyranny of the Integral Does Reality Exist? There Is No Alternative to the Integral 8 Democracy-to-Come: A Perpetual Promise Dismantling the Political On the Shoulders of Neoliberal Giants “Servants” of Globalism Conclusion Index