Europe’s Outlier: Belarus and Covid-19
Author(s): Benno Zogg
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2020
Instead of taking meaningful measures, the Belarusian government downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and suggested obscure cures. This is a dangerous bet by a regime afraid of economic downturn and appearing weak – similar to several other regimes with strongman leaders. Given Belarusians lack faith in the government’s response and official data, they are taking personal responsibility for their fate. This goes against the grain of the political culture in the country and underscores that authoritarian regimes’ habitual methods may reach their limits during such a crisis, argues Benno Zogg in this contribution to the CSS Corona Blog.