A real dark horse? A comedian in the age of populism

Nowadays everyone wants an election and Volodymyr Zelensky is a man of our times. Before he won the Presidency of Ukraine in a landslide vote, he played the role in a comedy tv series made by his own production company, Kvartal 95. The character he played then was a history teacher whose speeches against corruption made him famous and led him to win the Ukrainian Presidency.

The real Zelensky is perhaps most notable for being Ukraine’s first Jewish President, in a country that has historically been accused of sympathizing with the Nazis. His election by more than 70% of the votes was a surprise to many, but it’s clear that in these days when democratic votes are…