Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Two months before the elections 2020 local branches of political parties in the Ternopil region spent six times more money on social media advertising than they did in almost an entire year after the elections. This is shown by data from Facebook’s Ad Library service.
Thus, in August–October 2020 parties that participated in the local elections and were included in the journalists’ analysis paid over 65 thousand dollars for political advertising on social networks (about 1,7 million UAH). After the elections, from November 2020 through October 2021, advertising spending amounted to 11 thousand dollars (about 280 thousand UAH).
“Svoboda”
The official Facebook page of the Ternopil city organization of the political party All-Ukrainian Association “Svoboda” — “Ternopil City Organization VO Svoboda” — contains information about paid posts with information and videos featuring the current Ternopil mayor and then-candidate for mayor of Ternopil Serhii Nadal, and candidates from Svoboda for the Ternopil City Council. From August to October 2020 this page paid for political advertising totaling 4,6 thousand dollars. The public page of Ternopil regional “Svoboda” paid for promoted posts with information and videos about candidates for local councils. Over the same period this amounted to 4,8 thousand dollars.
“Servant of the People”
The page “Servant of the People. Ternopil region,” in whose promoted posts on Facebook and Instagram the activities of members of parliament are discussed, most frequently mentions Volodymyr Hevko (a single-member-district MP for district No. 167) and MP from the same party Yevheniia Kravchuk. It’s worth recalling that Volodymyr Hevko in the local elections 2015 ran as a candidate for the Ternopil City Council from European Solidarity. The “Servant of the People. Ternopil region” page also has paid posts about road repairs and the reconstruction of architectural monuments. For the pre-election campaign period, you can see paid posts with information and videos about the mayoral candidate in Ternopil Viktor Hevko (brother of MP Hevko), the candidate for mayor of Shumsk Vadym Boyarskyi (who between 2015–2020 served as a deputy of the Ternopil regional council from Batkivshchyna), candidates to the Ternopil regional council Yuliia Khaietska, Volodymyr Semerez, Ihor Zhminka, Iryna Kramar, candidates for the Ternopil City Council — Oksana Vivchar, Oksana Olyvko, and candidates to other local councils. Regarding political advertising spending for August–October 2020 on Facebook and Instagram from this page, it totaled 6,5 thousand dollars.
After the local elections, specifically from March 2021 this page ran promoted posts about MP Yevheniia Kravchuk’s election as Deputy Head of the party council of Servant of the People. Posts also mention reconstruction of roads, bridges, sports grounds, restoration of castles and churches under the “Great Construction” and “Great Restoration” programs with videos featuring Volodymyr Hevko as an MP and head of the Ternopil regional organization of Servant of the People. Paid posts speak of opening a party office in Kremenets and hosting the Ukrainian Championship in ship modeling in the Ternopil region. Overall, for promoted posts on Facebook and Instagram from March through October 2021, according to Facebook’s Ad Library, 1,9 thousand dollars were spent.
“European Solidarity”
The official page of the Ternopil territorial organization of the political party European Solidarity — “European Solidarity – Ternopil region,” which was created on 22 December 2016, contains information about the activities of local council deputies and criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s government. For the local election period 2020, the Ad Library contains promoted posts with posters and videos of candidates for the Ternopil City Council Pavlo Bych, Ihor Vons, candidates for the Ternopil district council Volodymyr Krupnitskyi, Mykhailo Holovenko, Roman Pyrozhyshyn, for the Ternopil regional council Vasyl Kobel, candidates to the Zbarazh City Council like Natalia Kushlak, and other local councils. During last year’s pre-election campaign, this page spent 1,1 thousand dollars on promoted posts. After the elections the page focused mainly on covering the activities of the party’s deputies in the Ternopil regional council, their political statements, the transfer of oxygen concentrators to district hospitals in the Ternopil region, holiday greetings, etc. Overall, in the post-election period up to October 2021, the page spent only 132 dollars on promoted posts.
The page “European Solidarity – city of Ternopil,” which states it is the official page of the European Solidarity party in Ternopil, contains only paid political advertising during the local elections. This concerns advertising for mayoral candidate Viktor Ovcharuk, backed by Petro Poroshenko, and candidates for the Ternopil City Council Maryana Yuryk, candidates for the Ternopil district council Volodymyr Baiger, Volodymyr Dzudzilo, Valerii Savchuk. The Ad Library also contains a post with a video about signing an agreement between the local European Solidarity branch and the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists (KUN) on mutual support in the local elections. Overall, during the local campaign this page paid 1,1 thousand dollars for political advertising.
“Batkivshchyna”
The page of the Ternopil regional organization of Batkivshchyna — “Batkivshchyna Ternopil region,” created in May 2016, contains information about candidates to the Ternopil regional council, Chortkiv district council, Ternopil and Zalishchyky city councils, Tovste settlement council, as well as mayoral candidates in Ternopil from this party Leonid Bytsiura and candidate for head of the Zboriv city community Oleksandr Paratsiia. It’s worth recalling that Leonid Bytsiura was a deputy of the Ternopil City Council (2006–2009) and regional council (2009–2015) from VO Svoboda. This page also featured paid posts about Bohdan Brych, a candidate in the extraordinary parliamentary elections in constituency 163 in 2019. From August to October 2020 this page spent 1,5 thousand dollars on promoted posts. In the post-election period, specifically in November 2020, this page spent only 2 dollars on advertising.
The page “Batkivshchyna Ternopil” shows information about 3 posts with paid promotion, but the content of those posts is not available because they violate advertising placement rules. From August to October 2020 this page spent 141 dollars on political advertising. In the post-election period, according to Facebook’s Ad Library, there were no paid promotions from this page.
“For the Future”
On the Ternopil regional page of the political party For the Future — “Team of Ivan Chaikivskyi — For the Future of Ternopil region” — there is information about repairs and reconstructions of roads, playgrounds, and schools that, posts claim, were funded from the state budget at the initiative of MP Ivan Chaikivskyi (elected in district No. 165). It should be noted that Chaikivskyi served as a deputy of the Ternopil district council from the Party of Regions during 2010–2015. Paid posts also mention decisions adopted by deputies of the Ternopil regional, district, and other local councils and by heads of communities who represent For the Future. During the pre-election campaign — 2020 — this page paid for promoted posts about candidates from For the Future to regional, district, and city councils of Ternopil, Kremenets and Chortkiv district councils, the Shumsk city community, the candidate for head of Kozivka settlement council, and other local councils.
There is also a paid video post stating that the teams of Serhii Nadal (then a candidate for mayor of Ternopil from VO Svoboda) and Ivan Chaikivskyi agreed to cooperate in the future Ternopil city and regional councils; it was run as two ads that cost under 900 dollars. Overall, during the pre-election campaign from August to October 2020 this page spent 9 thousand dollars on political advertising on Facebook. After the local elections, the page ran promoted posts about the activities of deputies of the Ternopil regional and district councils and other levels who represent this party. There is also information about road repairs and reconstructions in villages that are part of the Velykoberezovytsia and Kozivka settlement communities, with text emphasizing that funds were allocated with the support of MP Ivan Chaikivskyi. Overall, from November 2020 through October 2021 this page paid 4,7 thousand dollars.
There is another For the Future page — “Ternopil for the Future,” created on 27 May 2020. From this page promoted posts advertised candidates to the Ternopil district and city councils from this party, including Vasyl Tomchyshyn, Lesia Kolinets, Rustam Ergeshov, Dmytro Haityk, and others. This page also ran paid posts about opening party “Offices of the Future” in Ternopil during the local elections. Overall, during the pre-election campaign this page spent about 4 thousand dollars on Facebook and Instagram advertising. After the elections this page ran promoted posts about distributing Easter packages by Ternopil City Council deputies from For the Future — Andrii Tsybulskyi (a deputy of the Ternopil regional council from UKROP in 2015–2020), Liuba Vovk, and Rustam Ergeshov during 1–3 May 2021.
This page also ran promoted posts with comments from the party’s Ternopil City Council deputies about adopted decisions and the benefits of forming condominium associations (HOAs). The Facebook Ad Library does not provide exact spending data for this page’s post promotions in the post-election period, but it is known that from April through October 2021 this page ran 5 promoted posts, each costing under 100 dollars. Overall, from the pages used by the local For the Future branch for political advertising during the local elections 2020, 13 thousand dollars were spent (342 thousand UAH), and if post-election advertising from these pages is included, the total is at least 17,6 thousand dollars (467 thousand UAH).
“Dovira”
On the Facebook page “Dovira Ternopil,” which states it is the official page of the Ternopil regional organization of the Dovira party, there are many videos with candidates for local councils at various levels in the Ternopil region, as well as candidates for village and settlement heads and holiday greetings from local branch leaders. From August to October 2020 this page paid for political advertising totaling 5,3 thousand dollars. After the local elections, the only paid promotion was in January 2021 — a post titled “Buchach residents, I congratulate everyone on the Nativity of Christ” costing 297 dollars. Thus, total spending on promoted posts from this page on Facebook and Instagram amounted to 5,5 thousand dollars.
“Strength of the People”
The page “Strength of the People Ternopil,” the Ternopil city organization page for the Strength of the People party, contains much information about the activities of its deputies and local activists. During the local elections 2020 this page posted videos with candidates for the Ternopil regional and city councils, the mayoral candidate Ivan Sorokolit, and others from local communities in the Ternopil region. It’s worth recalling that Ivan Sorokolit was a deputy of the Ternopil City Council from Svoboda during 2010–2017. According to Facebook’s Ad Library, political advertising spending during the local elections 2020 was a record 11,2 thousand dollars.
After the local elections this page also actively ran promoted posts about activities of its deputies in the Ternopil City Council, decisions of the Ternopil City Council and possible budget losses resulting from them, controversial new developments in the city and their consequences, and the party’s local reporting and election conference. Overall, from November 2020 through October 2021 this page spent 1,1 thousand dollars on promoted posts.
“Order Responsibility Justice”
The page of the political party Order Responsibility Justice contains information and videos about candidates for the Ternopil City Council Olesia Chvankina, Oleksandr Smyk, Maria Pachkovska, Ihor Hirchak and others, indicating the party’s ballot number, and video titles such as “Nadal’s Team Will Help.” The Ad Library also includes posts and videos with an appeal from current Ternopil mayor and municipal candidate from VO Svoboda Serhii Nadal supporting the Order Responsibility Justice party and VO Svoboda. Reported spending on advertising from this page on Facebook and Instagram is 5 thousand dollars. After the local elections up to October 2020 no promoted posts were paid from this page.
“Holos”
The official Holos pages in the Ternopil region — “Holos Ternopil region” and “Holos Ternopil” — ran promoted posts with information and videos about candidates for the Ternopil regional, district and city councils, as well as the mayoral candidate of Chortkiv Anatolii Petlovaniy from this party. These pages also include information about laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada and comments from Holos MPs. Overall, 2 thousand dollars were spent on advertising from these pages on Facebook and Instagram. As of October 2021, after the local elections 2020, no promoted posts were paid from these pages.
“Ukrainian Galician Party”
The page “Ukrainian Galician Party Ternopil region” was created in August 2015. It contains information about the activities of the local Ukrainian Galician Party branch in the Ternopil region. Regarding promoted posts run during August–October 2020, they concerned candidates for the Pidvolochysk, Khorostkiv, Terebovlia city councils, candidates for head of Pidvolochysk community Vita Salko, candidate for head of Skala-Podilska OTG Viktor Myronchuk, and mayoral candidate of Zalishchyky Alla Kvach. Overall, during the local pre-election campaign 2020 this page spent 6,8 thousand dollars on political advertising on Facebook and Instagram. After the elections the page continued to actively promote posts about the activities of its deputies elected to local councils in the Ternopil region and about the restoration of partner maternity care initiatives started by party representatives. The page also has several paid posts about a scandal related to plasma disposal at the local Blood Transfusion Center. One of the main topics now actively covered on this page is the adoption in first reading of the Law “On Deportation.” Overall, in the post-election period up to October 2021 this page paid 2,2 thousand dollars for promoted posts.
“Radical Party of Oleh Liashko”
The official page of the Ternopil city organization of the Radical Party of Oleh Liashko — “Ternopil City Organization of the Radical Party of Oleh Liashko,” created in July 2018, contains information about paid posts concerning the candidate for Ternopil mayor in the local elections 2020 — Volodymyr Barna; appearances on local TV by the head of the Ternopil regional organization of this party, Oleh Yatsykovskyi; posters of candidates for the Ternopil City Council Roman Matsyuk, Myroslava Yarmush, Taras Seretnyi and others. The page also contains paid posts with video recordings of the party leader Oleh Liashko’s appearances on national political talk shows. From August to October 2020 this page paid 399 dollars, according to the Ad Library. After the local elections no promoted posts were run from this page.
“Opposition Platform — For Life”
The page “Official page Ternopil ‘Opposition Platform — For Life’” contains information about candidates for the Ternopil regional council, the Pochaiv city council, and the Ternopil mayoral candidate Oleksandr Kravchuk from this party. Overall, 1,2 thousand dollars were spent on political advertising on this page. After the local elections no posts were paid for.
“Strength and Honor”
The page “Strength and Honor. Ternopil” contains only one promoted post about Nadya Pochtar, a candidate for Ternopil City Council in the local elections 2020, which, according to Facebook’s Ad Library, she paid to promote on Facebook and Instagram — 114 dollars. After the local elections there were no advertising expenditures from this page. It should be noted that the Ad Library contains a similarly named created page whose content gives reason to believe it may be fake.
“Varta”
Another participant in the Ternopil local elections was the Varta party, but it did not register lists of candidates for local councils in the Ternopil region. However, one independent mayoral candidate in Ternopil, Ihor Stsibaylo, used this party’s symbols. The party’s Facebook page was previously named “Varta Ternopil” but was renamed to Stsibaylo Ihor Bohdanovych (Igor Stsibaylo). The page contains videos with appeals by Ihor Stsibaylo and recordings of his appearances on local TV. Overall, spending on political advertising from this page amounts to only 517 dollars. After the local elections there were no paid promotions from this page.
Thus, analysis of the spending by local party branches in the Ternopil region shows that they are willing to spend the most on social media advertising during election campaigns, and after the elections their spending depends on the election results.
Ihor Protsyk
This analysis was created with the support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a project implemented by the NGO Kantselyarska Sotnia with support from the USAID “VzaemoDiia” project. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
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