US embassy cable - 04PARIS9147

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 009147 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; 
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA 
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE 
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA 
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA; 
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - UKRAINE: VICTORY OF 
YUSHCHENKO 
PARIS - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2004 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. UKRAINE: VICTORY OF YUSHCHENKO 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE TRAGEDY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA CONTINUES TO DOMINATE HEADLINES 
TODAY AND EDITORIALISTS REFLECT ON THE SCOPE OF THE 
CATASTROPHE, THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF NATURAL PHENOMENA AND THE 
SOLIDARITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN TIMES OF CRISIS. 
 
THE FINANCIAL PRESS FOCUSES ON THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF 
THE CATASTROPHE FOR THE ASIAN ECONOMY AND MARKETS. THE BLOW TO 
THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE REGION COMES AT A TIME "WHEN 
TOURISM HAD INCREASED AS THE FEAR OF BIRD FLU AND SARS HAD 
DIED DOWN." (ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS) 
 
ON THE OUTCOME OF THE LATEST ROUND IN THE ELECTIONS IN 
UKRAINE, COMMENTATORS TODAY AGREED THAT UKRAINE HAS TAKEN 
GREAT STRIDES NOT JUST IN TERMS OF POLITICAL AUTONOMY BUT ALSO 
TOWARDS REAL DEMOCRACY. RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO'S EDITORIAL 
CALLS THE ELECTION "HISTORIC." HOWEVER, REPORTS AND EDITORIALS 
ALSO NOTE THAT THE COUNTRY REMAINS DEEPLY DIVIDED AND THAT 
YUSHCHENKO WILL HAVE TO SHOW A GREAT DEAL OF TACT IN ORDER TO 
ACHIEVE A SEMBLANCE OF NATIONAL COHESION. (SEE PART C) 
 
THE POSSIBILITY OF EU MEMBERSHIP FOR UKRAINE ALSO ELICITS A 
NUMBER OF COMMENTARIES: "RUSSIA HAS LOST AN OBEDIENT SERVANT 
AND EUROPE HAS GAINED A NEW PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH." (FRANK DE 
BONDT IN REGIONAL DAILY SUD OUEST) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
UKRAINE: VICTORY OF YUSHCHENKO 
 
"THE UKRAINIAN LESSON" 
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (12/28): "ON 
THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT, THE NEW PRESIDENT WILL HAVE TO FIND A 
SUBTLE BALANCE BETWEEN THE COUNTRY'S BIG BROTHER - RUSSIA. AND 
THE WESTERN WORLD THAT IT ASPIRES TO IMITATE. BETWEEN THE 
ATTRACTIVENESS OF NATO AND THE EU. AND THE REALPOLITIK THAT 
INCITES IT NOT TO CLASH HEAD ON WITH THE KREMLIN. EUROPE'S 
ROLE WILL BE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HELP UKRAINE DEVELOP 
A STABLE DEMOCRACY AND A MODERN ECONOMY." 
 
"YUSHCHENKO'S CHALLENGES" 
COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE'S PAUL FALZON (12/28): "THE NEW PRESIDENT 
WILL URGENTLY HAVE TO TAKE STEPS TO RECONCILE WITH RUSSIA 
WHICH BLATANTLY SUPPORTED YUSHCHENKO'S OPPONENT DURING THE 
CAMPAIGN. PUTIN MAY HAVE MELLOWED SOMEWHAT, BUT IT IS NOT 
IMPOSSIBLE THAT HE MAY SEEK TO MAKE YUSHCHENKO PAY FOR THE 
SUPPORT THAT HE GOT FROM EUROPE AND THE U.S. RUSSIA HAS LOST 
FACE. AND COULD TRY TO PROVE TO THE NEW UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT 
THAT IT REMAINS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH BY FUELING 
TENSIONS IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. YUSHCHENKO SEEMS 
TO HAVE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE THREAT WHEN HE STATED THAT HIS 
FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT WOULD BE TO MOSCOW." 
 
"UKRAINE MUST BE REUNITED" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN'S EDITORIAL IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX 
(12/28): "IN THIS UNCERTAIN PERIOD SEVERAL SCENARIOS ARE 
POSSIBLE: FIRST, THAT UKRAINE COULD UNDERGO A DYNAMIC PROCESS 
OF TRANSFORMATION; NEXT, THAT IT COULD SUCCUMB TO A MORE 
CHAOTIC AND SLOW EVOLUTION AND LAST THAT IT COULD SIMPLY GET 
STUCK IN A RUT. THE OUTCOME DEPENDS FOREMOST ON THE 
UKRAINIANS, BUT ALSO ON THE LINES THAT WILL BE THROWN TO THEM 
BY RUSSIA, EUROPE AND THE U.S. THE EU ESPECIALLY WILL HAVE TO 
MAKE IT CLEAR TO VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO THAT IF HIS COUNTRY ASPIRES 
TO EU MEMBERSHIP, IT WILL HAVE TO EMBODY THE PRINCIPLES OF THE 
ORANGE REVOLUTION." 
 
"THE FOURTH ROUND" 
CHARLES LAMBROSCHINI IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (12/28): 
"THE NEW UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT NOT ONLY SURVIVED AN ATTEMPT AT 
POISONING BUT HE HAS ALSO BECOME A LION. THE UKRAINIANS HAVE 
NOT ONLY CHOSEN A CANDIDATE, THEY HAVE IMPOSED DEMOCRACY. 
AFTER THREE ROUNDS, YOUCHENKO NOW NEEDS TO WIN THE FOURTH. HE 
WILL HAVE TO CALM THE MORE RADICAL FACTIONS. AND FIND A WAY TO 
REUNIFY A COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN DEEPLY DIVIDED BY THE ALARMIST 
PROPAGANDA OF YUSHCHENKO'S OPPONENT VIKTOR YANUKOVITCH. IN 
ORDER TO ACHIEVE UNITY, YUSHCHENKO WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH 
MOSCOW. BECAUSE UKRAINE WILL NEVER FIND APPEASEMENT UNTIL 
RUSSIA HAS ONCE AND FOR ALL OVERCOME ITS IMPERIALISTIC 
NOSTALGIA." 
 
"YUSHCHENKO: A CLOSELY WATCHED PRESIDENT" 
SACHA BALIT VANDERBROUCK IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR 
(12/28): "YUSHCHENKO WILL HAVE TO WORK AROUND UKRAINE'S BIG 
BROTHER -RUSSIA, AS THE LATTER COULD STILL SEEK TO DESTABILIZE 
THE COUNTRY. YUSHCHENKO HAS NEVER HIDDEN HIS FONDNESS FOR THE 
WEST NOR DESIRE TO SEE HIS COUNTRY ONE DAY BECOME PART OF THE 
EU. THE EU, FOR ITS PART, IS IN A VERY DELICATE SITUATION 
TODAY. INDEED, A MAJORITY OF EU MEMBER STATES ARE NOT 
FAVORABLE TO UKRAINIAN MEMBERSHIP IN THAT IT COULD STRAIN THE 
EU'S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA. THE U.S. HOWEVER, DOES NOT SEEM 
OVERLY CONCERNED BY THIS AND IS DILIGENTLY WORKING IN THE 
WINGS FOR UKRAINE'S MEMBERSHIP IN NATO WHICH COULD OPEN A 
WHOLE NEW PANDORA'S BOX." WOLFF