Summary

Ukraine’s anti-establishment wave crested over the weekend, sweeping Volodymyr Zelensky to power in a landslide win over Petro Poroshenko.

A 41-year-old comedian with no previous political experience, Zelensky is famous for playing the president in the popular television show Servant of the People.

Poroshenko’s sky-high disapproval ratings made it so that the business tycoon-turned president always faced an uphill battle to secure reelection. However, few predicted that he would suffer such a severe drubbing at the hands of an unknown quantity in Zelensky. With nearly all the votes counted, Zelensky took 73 percent to Poroshenko’s 25 percent.

Little is known about Zelensky’s policies, but one thing is certain: the political neophyte will be under intense pressure to effect change one way or another.