Civil Unrest Possible, Expert Says

Valeriy Chaly of the Razumkov Center, a leading Ukrainian think tank:

The threat does not even lie in the economic crisis, but in the huge imbalance between the richest and the poorest. In our country, the gap between the richest 5 percent and the poorest 5 percent, according to various data, ranges from 38 to 70 times. It’s the most critical figure in Europe.

Against a background of social problems, unemployment, falling incomes, falling purchasing power and living standards in general, this may lead to, if not clashes, then to social tension.

According to Chaly, this may happen “very soon because, in all objectivity, it’s impossible to come out of the economic crisis without layoffs and lowering government spending.”

That’s what needs to be talked straight. And the biggest threat is peoples’ subjective attitude toward the situation. Today, the overblown expectations have in effect led to apathy, and such early consequences can be witnessed. That refers to demonstrations, rallies involving labor unions’ socioeconomic demands as well as the illegal conduct of certain individuals — and one should be prepared for this.

So is it about the “overblown expectations” or the overblown income distribution gap — the bomb that the ruling elites have refused to defuse?

Anyway, it seems like stabilnist may be on shaky ground. If I understand Chaly correctly, the guys who screwed up the Orange Revolution may get screwed back in the Orange Revolution 2.0.

Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/11/17/84625.htm
http://blogs.jsonline.com/blogs/piblog/warning%20sign.gif