Batkivshchyna

{{Infobox political party | name = Batkivshchyna | leader = Yulia Tymoshenko | founder = Yulia Tymoshenko | headquarters = Kyiv | ideology = Liberalism, Populism, Pro-Europeanism | international = Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party | european = European People's Party | colors = Red, White | website = All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland"} Batkivshchyna is a major Ukrainian political party led by Yulia Tymoshenko, a former Prime Minister of Ukraine. The party was founded in 1999 and has been a key player in Ukrainian politics since the Orange Revolution in 2004, which also involved Viktor Yushchenko and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc. Batkivshchyna has been a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and has ties with the European People's Party, Party of European Socialists, and European Democratic Party. The party's ideology is closely associated with Yulia Tymoshenko's leadership and her vision for Ukraine's future, which includes integration with the European Union and strong relations with NATO, as outlined in the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.

● History

Batkivshchyna's history is closely tied to the career of its leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics since the 1990s, working with Pavlo Lazarenko and Hromada. The party was founded in 1999 as the All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland", and it quickly gained popularity due to Tymoshenko's charismatic leadership and her role in the Orange Revolution, which also involved Oleksandr Moroz and the Socialist Party of Ukraine. During the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, Batkivshchyna supported Viktor Yushchenko's candidacy, and Tymoshenko served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2005 to 2006 and again from 2007 to 2010, working with Oleksandr Turchynov and Mykola Azarov. The party has also been involved in various Ukrainian parliamentary elections, including the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election and the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, competing with parties like Party of Regions, Svoboda, and Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform.

● Ideology

Batkivshchyna's ideology is based on liberalism, populism, and pro-Europeanism, with a strong emphasis on Ukrainian nationalism and sovereignty, as reflected in the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. The party supports Ukraine's integration with the European Union and NATO, and it has been critical of Russia's influence in the region, particularly during the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the War in Donbas. Batkivshchyna also advocates for market-oriented reforms, privatization, and deregulation, as outlined in the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement. The party's ideology is closely associated with the Orange Revolution and the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights, as promoted by organizations like the European Court of Human Rights and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

● Organization

Batkivshchyna is a well-organized party with a strong leadership and a large membership base, including prominent figures like Oleksandr Turchynov, Mykola Tomenko, and Serhiy Sobolev. The party has a network of regional branches and local offices, and it is active in various Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Lviv. Batkivshchyna also has ties with other European political parties, such as the European People's Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, and it participates in international organizations like the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The party's organization is headed by Yulia Tymoshenko, who serves as the party's leader and chairman, and it has a number of prominent politicians and public figures among its members, including Andriy Parubiy and Oleh Tyahnybok.

● Electoral history

Batkivshchyna has participated in several Ukrainian parliamentary elections, including the 2002 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election, and the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election. The party has also been involved in Ukrainian presidential elections, including the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election and the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election, competing with candidates like Viktor Yanukovych and Petro Poroshenko. In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Batkivshchyna won 19.9% of the vote and 82 seats in the Verkhovna Rada, making it one of the largest parties in the Ukrainian parliament, along with the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and the People's Front. The party's electoral history is closely tied to the career of its leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been a major figure in Ukrainian politics for over two decades, working with politicians like Leonid Kravchuk and Leonid Kuchma.

● Notable members

Batkivshchyna has a number of notable members, including Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleksandr Turchynov, Mykola Tomenko, and Serhiy Sobolev. Other prominent politicians who have been associated with the party include Andriy Parubiy, Oleh Tyahnybok, and Vitali Klitschko, who is also a former Mayor of Kyiv. The party has also been supported by various public figures, including Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director and human rights activist, and Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian politician and former prisoner of war. Batkivshchyna's notable members have played important roles in Ukrainian politics and have been involved in various Ukrainian parliamentary elections and Ukrainian presidential elections, working with international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union.