Today, Spain is celebrating victory in the final of the UEFA
European Football Championship in Kyiv. But it's not just Madrid that has a
reason to rejoice. The people of Poland and Ukraine also have the right to
celebrate.
Their successful and largely incident-free performance as
hosts has soundly disproved any lingering notions that they are pariahs of
traditional Europe.
Specifically, Poles and Ukrainians have shown that their
cultures fit into a greater European identity. Though this identity remains a
vague concept, the Euro has helped to explain some of the things it consists
of: a popular unifying sport, an eyebrow-raising love of beer, as well as
various social problems that need addressing.
Regarding the latter, the most glaring matter has been
racism. Thus far, there have been reports of Croatian, Polish, Spanish and
Russian fans jeering players. In addition, there was a racially-charged cartoon
in an Italian newspaper aimed at one of its own players and racial attacks on
twitter stemming from London against English footballers.
In a similar vein, though it was the BBC’s program Panorama
that warned of backwardness among the Polish and Ukrainians, it’s worth noting
that, at times, it has been the coarse behavior of the guests shocking the
locals. Taken together, this demonstrates that problems generally need
addressing throughout all of Europe as few issues are isolated to Central or
Eastern Europe.
Yet, just as common social problems can help Poland and
Ukraine identify more with Europe, so too should positive aspects. After all,
most interaction between foreigners and locals will yield great rewards in the
gradual defeat of prejudices towards other cultures. As Karl Deutsch, a
European founder of integration theory, would argue, the Euro is only a stage
that brings people together in increasing their sense of a common community.
In other words, ignore the spirited competition and fans
singing insulting songs at one another. After all, no matter what the Swedes
sang, no Ukrainian feared Viking war ships being built in the Swedish camp on
Trukhaniv Island in Kyiv.
The increased identification as part of the European
community has great consequences for both countries. For the Poles, it is first
a commendation on their achievements since 1989. It is also a justification
that today they belong at the heart of the European Union. However, the success
and acknowledgment of Ukrainians as Europeans can mean even more for the future
of their country.
This is partially because before the Euro, people questioned
if Ukraine should, or even could, stage such an important event. The string of
negative publicity suggesting why the country should not have been
well-chronicled: nontransparent and mismanaged projects, political protestations
over increased authoritarian governance that unrepentantly jailed opposition
candidates, disreputable hoteliers controlling and charging exorbitant prices
and the aforementioned fears of racism.
Admittedly, the politics and corrupt business practices preventing
necessary structural reforms will remain the same in the short-term. President
Viktor Yanukovych shows no sign of softening his animosity for opposition
leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Political boycotts are unlikely to change the current
government from continuing to selectively applying justice and granting favors.
However, citizens’ actions during the Euro provide insight into their own
vision for Ukraine.
For example, common Ukrainians responded to being lambasted
in Western media outlets by opening their homes to more than 1,000 foreigners
free of charge. Despite an influx of visitors into the country, there has been
a general lack of crime, strong hospitality and widespread positive media
reports covering visitors’ impressions. This is more than Ukrainian generosity:
it is a conscious effort by common Ukrainians to destroy the maligned image of
their country.
Just as most people mind what their neighbors think of them,
Ukrainian citizens wholeheartedly care what fellow Europeans think of them.
As an American living in Kyiv during the Euro tournament, I
have been fortunate to have had an impartial and front-row seat to all of this.
With the tournament now ending, my hope is these same citizens will not simply
believe they are no longer outcasts, but also work to redefine Europe’s
borderland.
To do that, and to further integrate with the rest of
Europe, change and reform are needed. That will be a long, arduous process
which requires Ukrainians not relapsing into political apathy and internal
division, whatever setbacks may occur.
The first step in that process? To acknowledge that July 1st
is not the end of Europe in Ukraine-it is only the beginning.
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