Svoboda (political party)

The All-Ukrainian Union "Freedom" (Всеукраїнське об'єднання «Свобода»), commonly known as Svoboda, is an ultranationalist political party in Ukraine. It has been led by Oleh Tyahnybok since 2004. Its predecessor, the Social-National Party of Ukraine (SNPU) formed and officially registered as a political party in October 1995. The SNPU was characterized as a radical right-wing populist party that combined elements of ethnic ultranationalism and anti-communism. During the 1990s, it was accused of neo-Nazism due to the party's recruitment of skinheads and usage of neo-Nazi symbols. Tyahnybok was elected in 2004 as the president of the party and shortly after he made efforts to moderate the party's image by changing the party's name and symbols and expelling neo-Nazi and neofascist groups. Although Tyahnybok expelled neofascist groups, Svoboda never abandoned ethnic ultranationalist views. The party gained increasing popularity in the late 2000s and early 2010s, winning 10.45% of the vote in the 2012 parliamentary election. Between 2009 and 2014, it was an observer member of the far-right Alliance of European National Movements. It played a role in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and Euromaidan protests but its support dropped quickly following the 2014 elections. Since then, the party has been polling below the electoral threshold, and it currently has one seat in the Verkhovna Rada. Svoboda's economic platform is statist and anti-liberal. Its political position has been described as right-wing, or far-right. Described as an ultranationalist, right-wing populist party, it expressed support and staged commemorations honoring early 20th century, Ukrainian far right nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, and it opposes immigration, globalism and free trade. It is staunchly anti-communist and conservative regarding social issues, and it favors economic nationalism and protectionism. The party has been described as "deeply anti-Semitic", and "fascist", though others say the party is no longer overtly anti-Semitic, and is now best described as a "radical nationalist party".