Despite the harshest winter since the 1990s, Russian attacks, коммунal service failures, and a wave of public dissatisfaction in Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko’s approval rating remains stable. We examine the phenomenon of the mayor’s “Teflon effect” — how political resilience continues to withstand cold weather and criticism.
After several relatively warm years, this winter brought unexpectedly cold weeks and even months. Veteran utility workers admit that the last time conditions were this difficult was back in 1995, when severe frosts lasted nearly five months in a row. In Kyiv, which has become one of the main targets of Russian attacks, the effects are felt especially sharply.
Watching the wave of hate on social media, hearing constant complaints outside trauma clinics or inside cafés where Kyiv residents come from their freezing apartments seeking warmth and electricity, it seems obvious that the city authorities have completely lost the battle against snow and frost. And most importantly, that they have lost the right to receive another mandate to govern.
Yet despite these emotional conclusions, the current mayor’s approval rating has remained surprisingly stable. So what is the secret behind the political resilience of the famous Ukrainian boxer who now governs Kyiv?
“TEFAL frying pan: it really doesn’t stick” —
an advertising slogan from the 1990s.
According to the results of the sociological survey “Kyiv. The Next Elections,” conducted by the analytical center Think Ukraine, Vitali Klitschko holds the highest political rating among potential candidates for mayor of the capital — 21.2% among all voters. Moreover, no other Kyiv politician currently crosses the 10% threshold.
38.5% of Kyiv residents are potentially ready to vote for the current mayor. At the same time, 34.3% trust him as a person, 23.1% consider him an effective leader, and one in ten appreciates his personal qualities.
The thesis of total corruption within Kyiv’s authorities is one of the key narratives promoted by Klitschko’s opponents. One might assume that his supporters simply lack this information and therefore view the situation through “rose-colored glasses.” However, the survey data clearly show that two-thirds of Kyiv residents are aware of criminal cases involving corrupt Kyiv City Administration officials, while 73.9% support law enforcement actions and believe corrupt officials should be held accountable under the law.
Focus group discussions conducted by Think Ukraine experts as part of the study showed that both supporters and opponents of the current mayor place responsibility for the actions of corrupt subordinates on Klitschko himself — he appointed them, they are his team, and therefore his responsibility. Yet, strangely enough, these scandals have not significantly affected his ratings. Nor, for that matter, has the openly poor performance of the city’s utility services this winter.
Did the boxer from the 1990s somehow absorb the Teflon coating from all those frying pans of that era, making him politically immune to any dirt sticking to him?
Emotion Lies at the Core of Choice
To understand the phenomenon of Klitschko’s success — and indeed the success of any electoral politician — one must understand that emotion lies at the core of every human choice.
People rationalize their choices through logic, facts, theories, and evidence. The complexity of this rationalization depends on education, professional skills, and worldview. But at the core, there is always emotion: one’s own versus чужий, trust versus distrust, admiration versus rejection, pride versus contempt.
And the stronger the emotional charge, the more durable the politician’s image becomes, the larger the core of loyal supporters, and, consequently, the more stable the rating.
In Klitschko’s case, there is a powerful positive emotional spectrum formed through his victories on the global sports stage and later reinforced during critically important and emotionally charged events.
For example, during the Revolution of Dignity in 2013–2014, he personally went to defend protesters and tried to persuade Interior Ministry troops not to use force. It was genuinely bold, as the situation could have ended very differently. Emotional footage of his passionate interactions within the crowd spread around the world.
It is in moments like these that people become “heroes.” Or they do not.
As a comparison, one can recall another leader of those events, who boldly climbed onto a protected stage and was not afraid to “take a bullet to the forehead.”
As a result, the current mayor possesses a strong image of a “decent man.” That is why even among his opponents — people convinced of widespread corruption within Kyiv’s government and who consider Klitschko personally responsible for the city’s problems — the stereotype of Klitschko as personally corrupt is not especially widespread.
Yes, he may be viewed as a poor manager, someone who appoints unworthy people to positions and cannot restore order in the capital. But he is still seen as “a normal person.” That is the secret of his “political Teflon effect.”
The positive image in supporters’ minds transforms political flaws into perceived strengths.
Does he say absurd things and sometimes speak awkwardly? Well, he is not supposed to be Cicero — he speaks the way ordinary people speak at home. That makes him relatable, one of their own.
Does he lack expertise in urban management? Well, he is not supposed to handle micromanagement. He is a leader. His task is to assemble a competent team.
Did he surround himself with corrupt officials? He gives different people opportunities, and the fact that some turn out to be dishonest is supposedly not his fault. On the contrary, thanks to his honesty and principles, corrupt officials allegedly “become known” to society and law enforcement agencies.
In this worldview, he is always doing the right thing.
Any discussion based purely on facts and logic with emotionally committed supporters is, by definition, meaningless and ineffective. The only thing capable of influencing the core electorate in such a situation is an equally powerful negative emotion — one that can transform a Hero into an Antihero.
However, no matter how strong Klitschko’s position may appear, it has its limits. Professionally speaking, his electoral field is limited and amounts to roughly 40% of all voters. Moreover, one out of every six current Klitschko voters is ready to support another, more worthy candidate.
Additionally, 64.2% of Kyiv residents support a legislative initiative to limit the number of mayoral terms. Under this proposal, anyone who has already served two full terms as mayor would no longer be eligible to run again.
At the same time, nearly half of the city’s residents (47.7%) view the possible removal of Vitali Klitschko from office by the city council due to corruption scandals positively. This is a high figure — significantly higher than in other Ukrainian cities with populations over one million.
So why, despite fairly critical public attitudes toward the mayor, when around 60% of residents are unwilling to vote for him under any circumstances, are there still no strong alternatives visible on the horizon?
The answer is simple: in the minds of voters, Klitschko has no alternative.
It is important to properly understand what “alternative” means in this context. It does not simply mean an opponent. There are plenty of opponents constantly criticizing the city government and the mayor personally.
An alternative candidate must be a “Hero” associated with a strong emotional connection for voters. The scale of that individual’s personality and public image must match the scale of the capital itself. Above all, it must represent a values-based alternative.
At the same time, all of Klitschko’s current and former opponents compete with him on managerial and administrative grounds, trying to achieve quick and obvious victories there. They emotionally advocate alternative approaches to distributing city resources, promising to buy hospital equipment, clear snow from streets, repair elevators, and solve traffic congestion.
But this does not increase their ratings — and it will not.
Because Kyiv residents are looking for a Hero, not simply a “better city manager” than Klitschko.
Heroes of Our Time
According to various sociological studies, representatives of the church and volunteers enjoy significant authority in Ukrainian society. But when it comes to real Heroes, they are the Ukrainian military.
Today, they embody the best qualities and values of Ukrainians so strongly that many former politicians have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in hopes of washing away the controversial reputations of previous years.
That is why nearly every sensible public official now demonstrates how much they are doing to support the military.
Political support for military figures in Kyiv is indeed high. 63.4% of Kyiv residents are ready to vote for a military party in local or national elections, while nearly the same number (60.3%) support appointing military personnel or veterans to leadership positions in the city — including the position of mayor.
Klitschko’s team appears to understand this very well. Support for the Armed Forces is among the most active themes in his information agenda.
But supporting the military and actually being military are two very different things.
Among all national politicians, Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Kyrylo Budanov have the strongest trust-to-distrust balances — comparable to each other and roughly five times stronger than Klitschko’s balance.
This is not surprising, as they are perceived as genuine military heroes by society.
Focus group discussions showed that such candidates are capable of becoming real alternatives to the current mayor — and defeating him. Especially if such a candidate for mayor simultaneously represents the political project of a future President of Ukraine.
And this may be the most serious challenge Klitschko has faced so far.
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Expert in political communications, government relations (GR), and interaction between authorities and local communities.
