“Social mobility doesn’t work like that”: Expert explained what kind of elites and leaders Ukraine needs

Political scientist Vitaliy Kulyk explained when new elites and leaders emerge and assessed whether the war will provide Ukraine with new politically active people who will meet society’s demands, reports Politeka.

He spoke about this on the channel “7 Steps.”

According to the guest of the program, cultivating elites is a Sisyphean task—it is a very gradual and artificial process, a kind of craft. At the same time, society itself generates leaders from within its own environment. These leaders, he argues, must be educated, with clubs, professional communities, and expertise being developed and taught.

“On the other hand, we understand that social mobility doesn’t work like that. Anyone who shows a bit more ability or courage, or who happens to be in the right place at the right time, can be lifted up—especially during periods of political turbulence. And our society is doomed to turbulence. There will be no stability for the next 20–40 years; society will keep changing and may even bring questionable figures to the surface. I’m not calling for us to accept this. I’m saying these processes must be balanced. For every such wave, there should be an environment where we can at least help guide people,” explains Vitaliy Kulyk.

He also recalls that significant changes in Ukraine’s elites took place in the 1990s, as well as with the so-called “children of Yushchenko”—people who were members of Plast and other youth organizations of the 1990s. With Yushchenko’s rise, they entered active socio-political life, took part in protests, and later became the backbone of the Revolution of Dignity. As the expert notes, this was not the whole society, but these people have sustained the framework of statehood throughout the years of war.

“I hope that people who go through this war will become leaders. But I remain a cautious skeptic, because I see how people return from the front and want to rest, while at the same time many opportunists will be dividing power. We have seen this after every Maidan since the 1990s. So, in my view, it’s risky to rely too much on the front to produce these leaders… It will, I hope it will. I also hope that the front will shape our demand for justice and humanity. When these two qualities are truly demanded by society and leaders respond to them, then we will indeed have real leaders,” reflects Vitaliy Kulyk.