Three and a half years ago, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s television series Servant of the People began airing on Ukrainian television. For a country where money and powerful oligarchs have long dominated politics, the concept was beguiling.
A teacher (played by
The 41-year-old has made his ignorance a virtue and openly admits to having no strong political views. “No promises, no disappointment” is one of the few memorable things he’s said. He’s an actor by profession, so it could of course all be fake, but the overwhelming impression was that, just like on television, he’s a likeable, fun guy.