NDI’s latest nationwide survey (completed December 2018) shows that with March 31st presidential elections approaching, more than 50 percent of Ukrainians are undecided. They value honesty above all other qualities in a candidate, including experience. Among voters with a preference, an actor who plays an honest but entirely fictional president in a television show is as popular as the leader of Ukraine’s oldest political party.  

Ukrainians are optimistic, believing by nearly 2:1 that the next government will be more representative than the last. Demand for fully functioning democracy is high and stable; support for a better balance of men and women in political life remains high at 61 percent. Ukrainians named rising prices as their biggest concern. Nearly half called economic uncertainty a “big threat” to their way of life, but an even greater number cited Russian aggression.

A small fraction (14 percent), identified “Western values” as a “big threat.” This is important as an indication that Ukrainians are resisting a campaign which has recently gathered steam, and dovetails with Russian disinformation messages, to discredit gender equality, minority tolerance and similar values.