Belarus: Lukashenka wins the ‘election’
According to official sources in Minsk, Alexander Lukashenka has been re-elected president of Belarus for the seventh time in a row with 87 percent of the vote and an 86-percent turnout. The EU has criticised the election process, in which no real opposition was allowed, as a "sham election that was neither free nor fair". How should the West behave towards the Moscow-oriented autocracy on its doorstep?
Offer young people a future through scholarships
Pravda explains what the West can do to counter Lukashenka's endless rule, given that it can't strengthen civil society within the country:
“Lukashenka has fortified the barricades of his regime to such an extent that no hint of free spirit can get past them. There is a fundamental difference between Belarusians and Russians in that while the majority of Russian voters support President Vladimir Putin, the same cannot be said for Lukashenka. And we are talking mainly about the young generation of Belarusians. The European Union is wealthy enough to provide more university scholarships for Belarusian students, for example. Young Belarusians who want to live in normal, free conditions deserve at least this.”
EU giving Russia's 'backyard' the cold shoulder
The Moscow Times points out that advances from Minsk regarding a rapprochement with the West have gone unanswered:
“Lukashenka is not averse to building bridges, but on his own terms. His de facto message to the West is: 'Let us do trade with each other and earn money, but what we do inside Belarus is none of your business.' However, no one in the EU is interested in this proposal. Many EU politicians no longer perceive Belarus as an independent entity, but simply as 'Russia's backyard'. This is why the quiet but numerous signals from Minsk remain unanswered.”
The dictator has only won this round
Politiken pins its hopes on the future and the appeal of democracy:
“It's important not to forget Belarus. The world is interconnected. The more the West's struggle for freedom and democracy constantly changes its position and focus, the less effective it is. Rogue states and dictators strengthen and protect each other - Putin attacked Ukraine via Belarus in 2022. Right now, we and our values are facing a headwind, but it pays to hold out. The history of Europe over the last half century is one of ever-increasing freedom and democracy. Lukashenka has won this round. But the fight goes on.”