Page 51 - bne_Magazine_October_2017

bne October 2017
Opinion 51
No matter how hard I try, I just can’t find a logical explanation that would justify the decision to stop the train from leaving and increasing security at the border. Saakashvili wanted attention and was looking for a provocation. Both were so mercifully given him by the Poroshenko’s circle. (Nota bene,
I think this case will become a cold shower for Poroshenko and his advisers because such a mistake is simply unforgivable from anyone who’s pretending to make rational decisions.)
It was definitely a day of bad decisions by both sides. Saakash- vili’s first big mistake was to have Yulia Tymoshenko by his side. This was the first warning bell for his supporters, making them doubt the sincerity of his actions. It is highly probable that Tymoshenko and Saakashvili will not make a lasting alli- ance: their personal ambitions, populist talent and not very promising record in the past raise the suggestion that they
got together just to make Poroshenko even angrier. But seeing Saakashvili, a politician who claims to bring a new quality into Ukrainian politics, with Tymoshenko, who represents an old guard, raised eyebrows.
The second mistake Saakashvili made was in the way he and his supporters crossed the border. Video and photo footage has quickly overshadowed the forbidden-train incident. This was savage: the crowd of people running to the border line, clashing with border guards, Saakashvili pushing his way through the line of soldiers and falling into arms of a cheerful crowd. It all looked very humiliating: what kind of state can’t protect its border from a bunch of people? The reaction of social media and some people in Saakashvili’s orbit show that it was one step too far. Even for those who publicly
ISTANBUL BLOG:
criticised Poroshenko for revoking Saakashvili’s citizenship, the border episode was too much. Not only because it looked bad on television: by violating laws and doing it so publicly and decisively Saakashvili lost his moral right to criticise Poroshenko for illegal decisions. He showed that he is no better than Poroshenko because both of them are ready to break or use the law for their political benefit.
Currently, it’s not even about winning the situation but about minimising the collateral damage. It is also a very strong signal for Ukrainian society showing what poor choices we have. Because when we think about elections that will take place
in just two years, we see that we have no one to choose from. So far all the alternatives look equally bad. This challenge is especially true for young and aspiring politicians who must understand that you can’t build a new Ukraine with the old way of thinking. Saakashvili is not a messiah and his ratings will probably go down as soon as the interest in this event cools. New parties and new people are badly needed.
And one very last remark. Sunday’s events proved the short-sightedness of Ukrainian politicians. This could have devastating consequences for the entire country. At a time when the Ukrainian authorities should throw all their time and efforts into preparing for a diplomatic battle
over finalising the weapons deal with the US and settling the conditions under which a UN peacekeeping mission can be deployed, they waste time handling a crisis situation they have created themselves. A situation that not only devalues the position of Ukrainian authorities but also an entire country’s credibility and respectability.
Commerzbank ignites quarrel
claiming Turkey’s official growth
figures are “more than questionable”
Will Conroy in Prague
Analysts are weighing up comments in a report from Germany’s Commerzbank which concludes that Turkey’s official growth figures are “more than questionable” and could even have been “politically influenced”.
The conclusions - first reported on September 13 by
the Financial Times - would prove highly damaging to Ankara if borne out, given that investors are already nervous about Turkey, a country that has been under a declared state of
emergency for 15 months following last year’s attempted coup. Turkey, subject to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s right to rule by decree under emergency powers, in April faced accusations that a narrowly won referendum vote on introducing an executive presidency was fiddled, while it is also fending off claims that the record stock market highs and new economic buoyancy it has enjoyed this year have been too much founded on soft loans backed by the government’s TRY250bn ($72.3bn) credit guarantee fund (CGF).
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