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National Corps
Національний корпус
LeaderAndriy Biletsky
Founded14 October 2016
Preceded byPatriot of Ukraine
Social-National Assembly
Azov Civil Corps
HeadquartersZoya Gaidai Street, Kyiv
Paramilitary wingNational militia[1]
Membership<20,000 (2019)[2]
IdeologyUkrainian nationalism
Ultranationalism
Euroscepticism
Economic nationalism
Right-wing populism
Antisemitism
Anti-Russian sentiment
Third Position
Anti-Immigration
Political positionFar-right[3]
Colours  Blue
  Yellow
SloganStrength, Welfare, Order
Verkhovna Rada
0 / 450
Regions
23 / 158,399
Party flag
Website
nationalcorps.org

The National Corps (Ukrainian: Національний корпус, romanized: Natsionalnyi korpus), also known as the National Corps Party, is a far-right political party in Ukraine founded in 2016 and then led by Andriy Biletsky.[3][4] Biletsky had previously founded and led two far-right groups, the Patriot of Ukraine (2006) and the Social-National Assembly (2008) and played a key role in the Azov Battalion. National Corps was created by veterans of the Azov Battalion and members of the Azov Civil Corps, a civilian non-governmental organization emerging from the Battalion.[5]

During its campaign for the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the party formed a united radical right nationwide-party list with the Governmental Initiative of Yarosh, the Right Sector, and Svoboda.[6] This coalition won a combined 2.15% of the nationwide electoral list vote but ultimately failed to win any seat in the Verkhovna Rada.[7] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it suspended its political activities.

History

In late 2015, Patriot of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Патріот України) was registered as a party, but it was not publicly active in its first year.[8]

On October 14, 2016, 292 delegates from across Ukraine attended the public founding congress of the party under the name National Corps.[3] The congress, held in Kyiv, unanimously elected Andriy Biletsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, as the party's leader,[3] elected Commander Nazariy Kravchenko of the Azov National Guard Headquarters as the deputy leader, and appointed members of the party's ruling council.[5] The congress also approved changes to the party's charter and political programme.[5]

The congress concluded with a "Nation March", which it organized with the Right Sector, a like-minded far-right organization with close ties to the National Corps. About 5,000 people took part in the torch-lit march from the Motherland Monument located in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War to Saint Sophia's Square. Some of the marchers wore or carried the yellow and blue symbol of the Azov Battalion, which resembles the Wolfsangel, a symbol associated with Nazism.[3] October 14 is celebrated as the Defender of Ukraine Day, as a public holiday in Ukraine since 2015.[3][9][clarification needed]

In 2018, Olena Semenyaka became the international secretary of the party.[10]

In November 2018, the National Corps refused to support Ruslan Koshulynskyi and his campaign for the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, and instead decided to nominate its own leader, Andriy Biletsky, as the common candidate of the Ukrainian nationalist camp.[11] However, in late January 2019, Biletsky ruled out his participation in the presidential elections, and stated that he would concentrate all efforts "to bring our numbers to 50,000 people", and pledged to spearhead a successful campaign for the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[4]

According to Bellingcat, in 2019, the Ukrainian government gave over 8 million hryvnias for "national-patriotic education projects” targeting Ukrainian youth, of which $30,000 "apparently" was allocated to several right-wing groups including National Corps.[12]

For the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, the National Corps joined a nationwide united party list with Svoboda, the Governmental Initiative of Yarosh, and the Right Sector.[6] However, the coalition only managed to win 2.15% of the popular vote, and since the coalition failed to pass the 5% threshold, it ultimately received no representation in the Verkhovna Rada.[7] In addition, the National Corps also failed to win any single-mandate constituency seat.[7]

In 2019, it clashed with Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his Steinmeier Formula plan to give parts of eastern Ukraine limited autonomy, which the National Corps resisted.[2]

In the 2020 Ukrainian local elections the party gained 23 deputies (0.04% of all available mandates).[13]

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it suspended its political activities, with most of its activists involved instead in armed defence of the country.[14]

Policies and ideology

National Corps campaign booth

According to the Ukrainian monitoring organisation Reporting Radicalism, "National Corps party members are not homogeneous." Its membership was drawn from both far right groups and football hooligans, especially from Dynamo Kiev. The largest group of its members are young people politicised by the 2014 Russo-Ukrainian War, often paid to attend rallies. The second largest group are Azov veterans.[8]

Its members "crafted its ideology and public image as a less radical organization than Andrii Biletskyi's previous political projects", according to Reporting Radicalism, for instance not using racist language, eschewing neo-Nazi symbols and instead using Ukrainian nationalist imagery, and reaching out to Jewish community leaders.[8][2] In 2022, one of its spokespeople described its platform as akin to a "European rightwing conservative party, but it is definitely not ultra-right", while Taras Kuzio of the Henry Jackson Society called it "closest to something like... neo-Nazis".[14]

As of 2016, the National Corps advocated for expanding the role of the head of state by granting the President of Ukraine absolute authority to become the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as the Prime Minister of Ukraine, ultimately supporting a transition towards a fully presidential system.[15][5]

As of 2016, the National Corps favoured the restoration of Ukraine's nuclear power status, and also support the re-nationalization of enterprises and industries formerly owned by the Ukrainian SSR upon Ukraine's declaration of independence in 1991.[5] The party wants Ukraine to become a neutral country. The National Corps are staunchly opposed to Russia and its foreign policy, and it strongly supports breaking off all diplomatic, economic and cultural ties with Russia.[5] The party also opposes the entry of Ukraine into the European Union, and is vocally opposed to fostering closer ties with NATO.[16] In addition, the National Corps favours the creation of a new Intermarium superstate, which would hypothetically comprise the entirety of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.[16][5] The party also advocates the expansion of the right to bear arms and a public referendum regarding the restoration of capital punishment for treason and the embezzlement of government funds.[5] The party is strongly opposed to the rights of Romanians in their old historical regions, currently located in Ukraine (Northern Bukovina, Northern Bessarabia, Budjak and Hertsa region).[17] The National Corps support economic nationalism and protectionism, oppose free trade and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and also supports the cultivation of Ukraine's domestic industry and exports.[18]

In 2018, Ihor Vdovin, a spokesman for the militia wing, told The Guardian that the National Corps are not neo-Nazis and did not want to establish a white supremacist state, although he admitted that some members hold white supremacist or neo-Nazi views. The party's leader Andriy Biletsky had previously made racist statements, such as his 2010 speech calling on "the white races of the world into a final crusade against Semite-led [Jews] Untermenschen [subhumans]", but has subsequently "toned down his rhetoric", denying being antisemitic and naming Israel and Japan as models for Ukraine's future development.[1][19] Nonetheless, it has been involved in violence against Roma and antifa activists.[8][2] In a 2018 country report, the U.S. State Department referred to the National Corps as one of Ukraine's “nationalist hate groups”, although this was not an official designation.[2][8]

In the 2020s, it has been involved in violent skirmishes with supporters of pro-Russian groups such as the Party of Shariy and Patriots - For Life.[8][2]

It has sought to make links with global far right activists. (For example, it has been in contact with the US Rise Above Movement.) Its spokesperson Olena Semenyaka has played a prominent role in these networking efforts.[2]

Election results

Verkhovna Rada

Year Popular vote % of popular vote Overall seats won Seat change Government
2019[20] 315,530 2.15 #11
0 / 450
 Extraparliamentary

Presidential elections

President of Ukraine
Election year Candidate # of 1st round votes % of 1st round vote # of 2nd round votes % of 2nd round vote
2019 Andriy Biletsky Refused participation — — —

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bennetts, Marc (13 March 2018). "Ukraine's National Militia: 'We're not neo-Nazis, we just want to make our country better'". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "MMP: Azov Battalion". Standford University CISAC: Mapping Militants Projects. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Talant, Bermet (15 October 2016). "Nationalist Azov Battalion starts political party". Kyiv Post.
  4. ^ a b Biletsky has no intention to participate in presidential elections, but will instead lead the National Corps to parliament, Interfax-Ukraine (26 January 2019)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Volunteer battalion Azov members and former members create National Corps political party". Interfax-Ukraine. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2017. (Ukrainian language version)
  6. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Yarosh, Tyagnibok and Biletsky have all formed a single list for the elections, Glavcom (9 June 2019)
  7. ^ a b c CEC counts 100 percent of vote in Ukraine's parliamentary elections, Ukrinform (26 July 2019)
    (in Russian) Results of the extraordinary elections of the People's Deputies of Ukraine 2019, Ukrayinska Pravda (21 July 2019)
  8. ^ a b c d e f "National Corps - Political Party". Reporting Radicalism in Ukraine. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Verkhovna Rada initiates declaration of the Day of the Defender of Ukraine, which is celebrated on October 14, a day-off". Ministry of Defence. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  10. ^ Nonjon, Adrien (September 2020). "Olena Semenyaka The "First Lady" of Ukrainian Nationalism". Illiberalism Studies Program Working Papers (3): 2. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  11. ^ No unity among Ukraine nationalists ahead of elections, UNIAN (20 November 2018)
  12. ^ "Ukrainian Far-Right Extremists Receive State Funds to Teach "Patriotism"". 16 July 2019. For 2019, the government of Ukraine has earmarked eight million hryvnias (over $300,000 USD) for what it calls "national-patriotic education projects" aimed at Ukrainian youth, including children. Of these 845,000 hryvnias — over $30,000 — apparently go to programs that are run by a number of branches of Ukrainian far-right groups, including National Corps, the political wing of the Azov movement. National Corps has been implicated in numerous incidents against minorities, activists and police. This 845,000 hryvnias figure also includes state funding for "national-patriotic education projects" by organizations that are not only arguable fronts for another notorious far-right organization — C14 — but are also led by the accused murderers of Ukrainian reporter Oles Buzyna.
  13. ^ "Results of the 2020 Ukrainian local elections on the official web-server of the". Central Election Commission of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b "'Don't confuse patriotism and Nazism': Ukraine's Azov forces face scrutiny". Financial Times. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ^ Білецький: "Азов" стане партією ["Azov" becomes party], Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian), 28 May 2016
  16. ^ a b "Ми намагаємося прийти до влади через вибори, хоча маємо всякі можливості" — як "Азов" стає партією [We are trying to come to power through elections, but we have all sorts of possibilities" - as "Azov" becomes party], Hromadske.TV (in Ukrainian), 13 October 2016
  17. ^ "Ucraina Mare le interzice românilor răpiți din România Mare limba, cărțile și hărțile istorice – Bugeac".
  18. ^ програма політичної партії "національний корпус" [program of the political party "national corps"], 26 October 2018 - "5.1. Economic nationalism: 'The national economy must be subordinated to national interests. Ukrainian Centrism in the economy determines the full support of the Ukrainian producer, accelerated modernization of the national economy, state support of Ukrainian exports, and the implementation of the policy of economic protectionism.'"
  19. ^ "Билецкий: Половина людей, которые воевали за Украину, разговаривает на русском языке". gordonua.com. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
  20. ^ In electoral alliance with Svoboda, Right Sector, Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, and Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists
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