The Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform of Vitali Klitschko (, using the acronym UDAR Vitali Klitschko () translates to "strike" or "punch", ), is a political party in Ukraine headed by retiredVitali Klitschko: Heavyweight champion swaps boxing for politics, BBC Sport (67 December 2013) Ukrainian professional heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko. The party has been an observer member of the European People's Party (EPP) since 2013. Європейська народна партія взяла до себе "УДАР" і виключила "Нашу Україну" European People's Party took a "hit" and excluded "Our Ukraine", Ukrayinska Pravda (6 September 2013)Member Parties , European People's Party Klitschko goes to the Congress of the European People's Party, Glavcom (19 November 2019)
The party's original name was Political Party "European Capital" (, Russian: Политическая партия "Европейская столица"), founded in March 2005 by businessman Lev Partshaladze. Політична партія "УДАР (Український Демократичний Альянс за Реформи) Віталія Кличка", Центр политической информации "Дата" On 24 April 2010, it was renamed Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform and elected boxer Vitali Klitschko as its leader, following its participation in the Vitali Klitschko Bloc (, Russian: Блок Виталия Кличко), during the 2008 Kyiv local election. Віталій Кличко очолив політичну партію «УДАР» (фото), Vitali Klitschko Bloc (April 24, 2010) Сформовано політичну раду всеукраїнської партії «УДАР», Vitali Klitschko Bloc (April 24, 2010)
The party won 40 seats in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.Party of Regions gets 185 seats in Ukrainian parliament, Batkivschyna 101 - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (12 November 2012)
In the 2014 parliamentary election, 30% of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc election list was filled by members of UDAR (as non-partisan) and UDAR leader Klitschko topped that list. The Petro Poroshenko Bloc won the election with 132 seats.Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament, Ukrinform (8 November 2014)People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014) UDAR officially merged into the Petro Poroshenko Bloc on 28 August 2015.Klitschko becomes leader of Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity' party, Interfax-Ukraine (28 August 2015)
In May 2019 Klitschko announced that UDAR would take part independently in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election. Klitschko said that UDAR will go to the polls, Ukrayinska Pravda (May 18, 2019) In this election UDAR did compete as an independent party again, but only in 15 single-mandate constituencies and it failed to win any seats.
In the 2020 Kyiv local election UDAR won 30 of the 120 seats of the Kyiv City Council. In the same election Klitschko was reelected as Mayor of Kyiv with 50.52% of the votes.
History
Political Party "European Capital" The Political Party "European Capital" was registered in March 2005 (its party-leader was Ukrainian businessman Lev PartshaladzePartshaladze Lev, Kyiv Post Парцхаладзе Лев Ревазович, Информационно-аналитический центр "ЛІГА") and the party gained 0.04% of the votes during the Ukrainian parliamentary elections 2006; the party did not participate in the 2007 Ukrainian parliamentary elections. In February 2009 the party renamed itself Political Party "New Country". Політична партія "УДАР (Український Демократичний Альянс за Реформи) Віталія Кличка" , Poli.in.ua Lev Partshaladze was elected into the Kyiv City Council for the Vitaliy Klychko Bloc in 2008, but expelled from the faction, for repeatedly voting differently from the faction, on 2 December 2010. Парцхаладзе Лев Ревазович by Kyiv City Council
Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform On a party congress on 24 April 2010, the party "New Country" (the name that "European Capital" had adopted 14 months earlier)) renamed itself once more to "Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform" and elected boxer Vitali Klitschko as its leader. Кличко знайшов собі нову партію by Ukrayinska Pravda (April 24, 2010) The party officially became Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) of Vitali Klitschko mid-July 2010.New Country party renamed UDAR of Vitaliy Klitschko, Kyiv Post (Jul 13, 2010)
During the 2010 Ukrainian local elections the party won about 400 representatives in municipalities and Oblast Councils (regional parliaments).Klitschko To The Rescue?, Kyiv Post (12 January 2012) Сергій Одарич формуватиме більшість у міськраді Черкас , Cherkasy city council website (November 8, 2010) Results of the elections, preliminary data, on interactive maps by Ukrayinska Pravda (November 8, 2010)
The Bloc of Vitali Klitschko faction in the Kyiv City Council changed its name to UDAR of Vitali Klitschko in February 2011.Faction of Bloc of Klitschko in Kyiv Council changes name to UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko, Kyiv Post (February 17, 2011) The party has a strong popularity in Kyiv.Poll: Klychko's UDAR to receive a fourth of seats in Kyiv Council, Kyiv Post (September 27, 2011)
In September 2011 party leader Klitschko stated that the party was considering the possibility of merging with other political parties before contending in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary elections.Klitschko: UDAR party considering unification before 2012 parliamentary election, Kyiv Post (September 19, 2011) In December 2011 UDAR of Vitali Klitschko and Civil Position where negotiating a unification. Гриценко збирається йти на вибори з Кличком, Ukrayinska Pravda (9 December 2011) But Civil Position eventionally joined Batkivshchyna during these elections.They Call Themselves the Opposition, The Ukrainian Week (31 August 2012)
UDAR became a partner of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in November 2011. 24. CDU-Bundesparteitag in Leipzig , Christian Democratic Union branch Düren-Jülich (15 November 2011) "Politik ist wie ein Boxkampf": Vitali Klitschko beim CDU-Parteitag in Leipzig im Interview , Leipziger Volkszeitung (14 November 2011) Udar is supported by the German government and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and received support in particular from Angela Merkel and also politicians from the conservative European People's Party. According to information gained by the German magazine DER SPIEGEL, the target was to "set up Klitschko purposefully as a new strong man in Kiew - in order to counter this way the Kremlin's growing influence". Support consisted in logistics, training and joint performances. Assistance was also promised by Christoph Heusgen, Ronald Pofalla and Guido Westerwelle.Merkel kämpft für Klitschko, SPON 8. Dezember 2013
UDAR did not join the Dictatorship Resistance Committee; but on 22 January 2012 it did sign an agreement on joint actions with that alliance.Tymoshenko, Lutsenko should participate in 2012 parliamentary elections, says Klychko, Interfax Ukraine (23 January 2012)
Starting in March 2010 the party's popularity in opinion polls reached a level almost twice as high as the election threshold (which was raised to 5% in November 2011Parliament passes law on parliamentary elections, Kyiv Post (17 November 2011)).If parliamentary elections were held next Sunday how would you vote? (recurrent poll, 2010-2011) by Razumkov CentrePoll: Party of Regions of Ukraine losing support, Kyiv Post (April 28, 2011)Party Of Regions, Tymoshenko bloc, Strong Ukraine, Front for Change and Communist Party would get into parliament, Kyiv Post (April 12, 2010) Чи може опозиція виграти парламентські вибори?, Ukrayinska Pravda (12 January 2012)Ratings of parties , Sociological group "RATING"Electoral moods of the Ukrainian population: February 2012 , Sociological group "RATING" (March 5, 2012) The election list of the party was a mixture of candidates who used to represent parties from all over the political spectrum of Ukraine.Left Hook by Klitschko's UDAR Party, The Ukrainian Week (24 August 2012)
After a successful application the European People's Party started on 5 April 2012 the process of making UDAR an observer member of the organization.EPP accepts UDAR Party's application to get observer status, Interfax-Ukraine (5 April 2012)Ukraine elections: `unfair play` of government authorities distorts outcome, European People's Party (30 October 2012)
In July 2012 party leader Klychko stated that his party would not cooperate with the Party of Regions in a new parliament. Кличко каже, що не співпрацюватиме в парламенті з Партією регіонів Klitschko says he does not cooperate in Parliament with the Party of Regions, The Ukrainian Week (18 July 2012)
In early August 2012 the party complained its candidates for people's deputies (and all other parties not involved in the first Azarov Government) suffered "psychological and physical pressure" and this "ten times higher than other parties".UDAR's candidates for people's deputies say they're suffering pressure from opponents, Kyiv Post (8 August 2012)
Two weeks before the 28 October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election UDAR withdrew 26 of its candidates running in single-member constituencies in favour of Batkivshchyna candidates and Batkivshchyna withdrew 26 parliamentary candidates in favor of UDAR in an attempt to maximise votes for the opposition.Opposition parties join forces ahead of Ukrainian election, EurActiv (16 October 2012) In the election the party won 13.97% of the national votes and 6 constituencies (it had competed in 183 of the 225 constituencies Candidates, RBC Ukraine) and thus 40 parliamentary seats. Proportional votes & Constituency seats , Central Election Commission of Ukraine Support for UDAR was the least diversified at the regional level compared with the results of the other leading parties.After the parliamentary elections in Ukraine: a tough victory for the Party of Regions , Centre for Eastern Studies (7 November 2012) Independent candidates Yaroslav Dubnevych and Fedir Nehoi joined the UDAR parliamentary faction on 12 December 2012; the same day party leader Klitschko was elected to lead the party's faction. UDAR elects faction's leadership in parliament, Kyiv Post (12 December 2012) The party is coordinating its parliamentary activities with Batkivshchyna and Svoboda.Batkivschyna, UDAR, Svoboda to create opposition council to coordinate activity in Rada, Kyiv Post (17 December 2012)
In late December 2012 UDAR and the United National Movement from Georgia signed a cooperation agreement.Klitschko's, Saakashvili's parties sign cooperation agreement, Kyiv Post (24 December 2012)
In May 2013 UDAR, Batkivshchyna and Svoboda vowed to coordinate their actions during the 2015 Ukrainian presidential election.Batkivschyna, UDAR, Svoboda to coordinate their actions at presidential election, Interfax-Ukraine (16 May 2013)
On 6 September 2013 the party was granted "observer status" in the European People's Party.