The Neo-Authoritairan Regime in the Republic of Belarus
Usov, P., 'The Neo-Authoritarian Regime in the Republic of Belarus,' Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review, Iss.21 (2008), 86-111
The political history of independent Belarus is almost entirely relatable to the rule of Al- exander Lukashenko and to the political regime that formed in the mid-90s. This regime was formed by rapidly wrapping up democratic processes and returning to authoritarian methods of political ruling of the state and the society.
The Belarusian political regime is the only non-democratic regime in Central and Eastern Europe. Widely supported by the Belarusian population, it has been able to successfully withstand internal and external attempts at democratisation. The hopes and forecasts that the Lukashenko regime would fall under the pressure of the Belarusian and international community have not proven true. Furthermore, it turns out that the regime has political and economic stability and is able to effectively deal with economic crises. It is quite clear that no major political changes will take place in Belarus in the near future.
The stability and effectiveness of the regime, as well as its ability to successfully withstand external and internal threats, allows to state that a particular type of political regime has formed in Belarus, which may be defined as a neo-authoritarian regime.