Belarus After Its Presidential Election
On January 26, the seventy-year-old president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is running for office for the seventh time. Dubbed 鈥淓urope鈥檚 last dictator,鈥 Lukashenko refused to step down following the presidential election in 2020; he crushed peaceful protests; he jailed his opponents; he shut down independent media and civil society organizations; and he forced thousands of Belarusians into exile.
Belarusian opposition forces have already termed the 2025 presidential election Lukashenko鈥檚 鈥渟elf-reappointment,鈥 and opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on the international community to 鈥渞eject this farce.鈥 Unfortunately, the scale of political repression in the country makes it dangerous for Belarusian voters to express their dissatisfaction with the electoral pro褋ess.
In the aftermath of Belarus鈥 January 2025 presidential election, our panelists discussed the election鈥檚 significance for Belarus鈥 political system and society, the strengths and vulnerabilities of the Lukashenko regime, and the future of Belarus more generally.
Event Sponsors
Speakers
Post-doctoral Researcher, Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies
Moderator
Hosted By
Kennan Institute
The Kennan Institute is the premier US center for advanced research on Eurasia and the oldest and largest regional program at the Woodrow 浪花直播 International Center for Scholars. The Kennan Institute is committed to improving American understanding of Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the surrounding region through research and exchange. Read more