On 9 August, Aleksandr Lukashenko, often dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by Western media, will seek re-election as president of Belarus for the sixth time in a row. This time, however, his regime is facing genuine popular resistance at a time when is also experiencing tension with its longstanding international ally, Russia, and economic problems related also to the COVID-19 pandemic. All this contributes to making these elections different. But could the times be ripe for a democratization process in the country? What is the future of Belarus’ relations with Russia and the West?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Minsk Dialogue Council on International Relations
Friedrich Ebert Foundation
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ISPI Senior Research Fellow & Head of the MENA Centre
Robert Bosch Academy, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow; Chatham House, Associate Fellow; Oxford University, doctoral researcher
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the eCampus University
University of Milan and ISPI AFRICA PROGRAMME, HEAD
Jean Monnet Professor of European Security, National University Odessa Law Academy
