Lahviniec, Papko Belarus democracy challenges en 2010 (original) (raw)
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Unfinished business: challenges for Belarus on its way to democracy
This article discusses Belarus' transition towards democracy and a market economy, and the difficulties it currently faces as it attempts to pursue these changes. Belarus' historically close relationship with Russia is discussed in detail, as is Russia's continual influence on Belarus's domestic and foreign policy. There are also internal challenges that hinder this transition. The EU strongly supports Belarus in this endeavour, and the authors encourage a proactive EU policy that will further facilitate the country's transition towards achieving a strong democratic tradition and a market economy model. Keywords Belarus Á EU Á Russia Á Democratisation Á Market economy In many respects, Belarus could be called a paradoxical neighbour of the European Union (EU). Contrary to stereotypes, Belarus is not a very poor country. Its GDP per capita in terms of purchasing power parity is comparable to that of Bulgaria and Romania. It has a highly educated population (19% of Belarusians have a university degree) [1]. The EU is its biggest trading partner, taking 44% of Belarusian exports compared to the 32% going to Russia [10, 1]. But despite geographical proximity and level of trade, the EU has not been able to make a significant positive impact on the country, because Belarusian authorities have been very reluctant to accept European standards of human rights and the market economy model. Belarus can therefore be seen as a good case study which reveals both the opportunities and limitations of the EU's capacity to democratise authoritarian A. Łahviniec (&) Á A.
Prospects for democracy in Belarus
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This book will help a wider audience to understand the background to recent events in Belarus and, I hope, will inspire even more people to rally in our support. The book also addresses the crucial question of how the international community can help us in our struggle for democracy, and I am confident Alyaksandr Milinkevich is leader of the United Democratic Forces in Belarus. Foreword 10 11 that the ideas outlined here will contribute to effective strategies in Europe, America and beyond. It is vital that the momentum for democratic change continues to gather strength in Belarus. The struggle is not over. It has just begun.
The Prospects for Democracy in Belarus
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This book will help a wider audience to understand the background to recent events in Belarus and, I hope, will inspire even more people to rally in our support. The book also addresses the crucial question of how the international community can help us in our struggle for democracy, and I am confident Alyaksandr Milinkevich is leader of the United Democratic Forces in Belarus. Foreword 10 11 that the ideas outlined here will contribute to effective strategies in Europe, America and beyond. It is vital that the momentum for democratic change continues to gather strength in Belarus. The struggle is not over. It has just begun.
The European Union and Belarus: democracy promotion by technocratic means?
Democratization, 2015
Is Belarus an enviable constant in international relations: a maverick, isolated from the West and inseparable from the East? On the surface, there seems to be business as usual: Lukashenko's regime remains unchallenged; Belarus’ relations with the European Union – spasmodic at best; while its absorption into Russia's Eurasian project continues apace. Yet, some critical disjunctures – manifested in government tacit resistance to Russia's influence, and more instructively, in people's growing affinity with Europe – may indicate a sea-change transformation in the very fabric of society. This article, utilizing extensive and subject-focused research, conducted in the country between 2009 and 2013, examines the nature and causalities of the occurring change. It argues that democracy promotion, in Belarus’ case, may work better when depoliticized and inculcated, through norms, regulations, and practices of international order, into the daily lives of individuals. Through its continued technocratic, inclusive, and sector-level engagement, European Union governance, even under the conditions of limited bilateral dialogue, have succeeded in fostering much-needed space for reciprocal learning and critical reasoning, which may have far greater transformative potential than manufacturing a single collective will for democracy building.
No Change on the Horizon: Belarus After the 2015 Presidential Election
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Belarus at a crossroads: Political regime transformation and future scenarios
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A report analyzes Belarusian presidential election campaign and examines evolving transformation of Belarus’s political regime towards a personalist military rule. The study also reviews the dynamics of the Belarus-Russia relationship, and discusses probable scenarios for the near Belarus’s political future.
Europe, which today constitute the eastern border of the European Union after its enlargement in 2004, and the peculiar characteristics that have differentiated it from the neighboring post-Soviet countries are some of the reasons that Belarus has been repeatedly studied throughout the two decades of its independency after the dissolution of the USSR. Indeed, situated "on the crossroads of transit, self-identity and national culture" 1 between East/Russia and West/Europe, Belarus can be identified, according to Peter Kim Laustsen as a rather "unique case in the European context." 2 Thus, this article aims to examine the dynamic relation of Belarus with the EU and Russia, along with the influence that both its regime and national identity have had in this triangular relationship.
Attitudes Towards Democracy and the Market in Belarus: What Has Changed and Why It Matters
Post-Soviet Affairs , 2022
For more than two decades a key pillar of regime stability in Belarus was legitimation through economic stability and security, prompting experts to speak of a “social contract” between the state and its citizens. The 2020 protests, however, convey significant dissatisfaction with the Lukashenka regime across a broad social and generational base. By comparing survey data from late 2020 with data from 2011 and 2018, we examine changing attitudes towards democracy and state involvement in economic affairs. We find a departure from paternalist values, implying an erosion of the value base for the previous social contract. Belarusian society has become more supportive of liberal political and economic values. This trend is particularly driven by the older generation and does not exclude Lukashenka’s support base. Meanwhile, attitudes towards democracy and the market have implications for people’s social and institutional trust, preference for democracy, and political participation.