The Orange Revolution: ‘People's Revolution’ or Revolutionary Coup?

Abstract

The ‘Orange Revolution’ in Ukraine is widely considered to be an instance of the ‘coloured revolutions’ of 1989 engendered by democratic values and nascent civil societies in the process of nation building. The article examines the extent to which the ‘Orange Revolution’ could be considered a revolutionary event stimulated by civil society, or a different type of political activity (a putsch, coup d’état), legitimated by elite-sponsored ‘soft’ political power. Based on public opinion poll data and responses from focus groups, the author contends that what began as an orchestrated protest against election fraud developed into a novel type of political activity—a revolutionary coup d’état. It is contended that the movement was divisive rather than integrative and did not enjoy widespread popular support. The article considers why sponsored democracy promotion and western-inspired ‘soft power’ politics have failed.