An ambitious reform plan was supposed to introduce drastic changes to the economy, the social and public spheres. But the "enthusiasm for reforms is almost nowhere to be seen," Mikuláš Dzurinda noted in an opinion piece for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
"Unfortunately, [Kiev's] reform record is not very encouraging so far. The process is very slow. … The leaders fail to explain the essence of reforms to people, leaving room for populism and demagogy," the Slovak politician observed.
Still the former prime minister does not consider the sluggish pace of reforms the key problem. The ultimate threat, to his mind, involves Kiev relying too much on the outside assistance.
"Many Ukrainians, including leaders, hope for a so-called new Marshall Plan for Ukraine and think that the solution to their fundamental problems will come from the outside," he pointed out.
Should this trend continue, Ukrainian authorities "could ruin hopes of an entire generation of reform-minded Ukrainians. The full commitment and accountability for the reforms must come from the citizens and their leaders and nowhere else," the politician stated.
Dzurinda added that this was not the only but an absolutely necessary prerequisite for the reforms to be successful.
Therefore, "the West has to acknowledge this and resist the temptation 'to lead' the Ukrainians," the politician said. Furthermore, Western countries should not "create unrealistic expectations and foster illusions" Ukraine has, he added.
