In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election the party won 3 seats in single-seat constituencies, but these were won by UKROP members as candidates for Servant of the People (the two parties had no formal allegiance).[3] UKROP itself did not take part in the election.[4]
The name "ukrop" was initially a derogatory Russian slang term used to refer to Ukrainians; however, in this case some Ukrainians reclaimed the term "ukrop" to refer to themselves.[5][6]
The political party UKROP was founded on 18 June 2015,[1] transformed from the party Patriotic Alliance ("Патриотический альянс") registered on September 25, 2014.[10] The head of the party's political council became oligarch[11]Hennadiy Korban.[12]
The party logo was designed earlier by Ukrainian artist Andriy Yermolenko to serve as a sleeve badge for the participants of the war in Donbas. The author released it for the use by the party for a symbolic fee of ₴1.[10] In its turn, the word "ukrop" ("укроп") used by Yermolenko was a repurposed Russian ethnic slur for Ukrainians.[6] Korban was deputy governor of Kolomoyskyi when Kolomoyskyi was governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast from 2 March 2014 until 24 March 2015.
The party's first political activity was when Korban took part in the 26 July 2015 parliamentary by-election in constituency 205 located in Chernihiv[13] (He lost these elections to Serhiy Berezenko of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, who won with 35.90% of the vote).[13] Korban took second place with 14.76%.[13] During the run-up to these elections Korban was repeatedly accused of bribing voters, the use of black PR and other violations (of the electoral legislation).[14] Berezenko was accused of employing these tactics as well.[14]
On 31 October 2015, Korban was arrested and suspected to be head of organized crime group.[25][26][27] The party claims offices of other party members and party offices were also searched by police.[28]
In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election the party won 3 seats in single-seat constituencies, but these seats were won by UKROP members as candidates for Servant of the People (the two parties had no formal allegiance).[3] UKROP itself did not take part in the election.[4] Former prominent UKROP member Ihor Palytsia has stated that de facto since 2020 UKROP's is replaced by the party For the Future.[33] Indeed, UKROP's social media pages were re-branded as "For the Future" social media pages.[33]
The party claims it will create a "New Ukraine" with a social market economy including social welfare programs (including free internet access, environmental reimbursements for healthcare costs, and a public option for those who cannot afford healthcare), nationalization, environmentalism, public-private partnerships, and use of minimal regulation to guarantee "socially responsible business" in Ukraine.[38] It claims that the Russian Federation is a Fascist regime comparable to Hitler's Germany and wants Ukrainian membership in NATO and the EU.[38]
The party also claims it seeks center-right economic reforms. "We support middle class entrepreneurship, de-monopolization, lowering trade barriers and simplification of tax laws, but with an emphasis on patriotism."[39]
The party aims the "complete destruction of the existing bureaucratic corruption system", "new faces in all branches of government and law enforcement agencies, the creation of a new Constitution and gradual "zeroing" of all laws, transparent funding of political parties, as well as the nationalization of strategically important enterprises."[40]
Media related to UKROP at Wikimedia Commons
