The 2012 European FIFA World Cup is held in two countries at once - in Poland and in Ukraine. However, for the latter country there was a risk of a boycott of the event due to political differences with some foreign politicians. This could cause serious damage to Ukraine.
The source of the problem was the situation around Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine. In 2010, with the coming to power of President Yanukovych, Tymoshenko was accused of misappropriating budget funds. In 2011, she was arrested, but on a different charge - for abuse of power when signing gas contracts with Russia. She was accused of damaging the Ukrainian budget. As a result, in the autumn of the same year, a sentence was passed - seven years in prison. This verdict caused discontent in the US government and a number of European countries.
Even during the investigation, Yulia Tymoshenko started having health problems. From the point of view of some of her supporters, this is due to the inhumane attitude towards her in prison. Tymoshenko was refused requests to travel abroad for treatment.
This situation became the reason for the political boycott of Euro 2012. It should be borne in mind that, unlike the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, this protest will not affect athletes. We are talking about the individual decision of some politicians not to visit Ukraine. They officially announced a boycott of the governments of Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and a number of other states. Some royals, such as the Queen of the Netherlands and Prince William, have also announced that they will not travel to Ukraine. Some politicians urged fans to follow their example.
In general, the boycott should not bring serious economic harm. Fans from different countries bought tickets even before the scandal developed, and it is unlikely that a significant part of them will refuse to travel to the championship. It is possible to prepare as soon as possible about the damage to the international reputation of Ukraine. Also, such conflicts with the authorities of European countries can get in the way of European integration and the establishment of relations in the European Union.
