No. 001: Transformation of the Political System of Belarus after 2020

Author(s): Piotr Rudkouski, Piotr Lichacz, Stephen G. F. Hall
Series Editor(s): Nelly Bekus, Tatsiana Chulitskaya, Iryna Herasimovich, Jeronim Perović, Alesia Rudnik, Olga Dryndova, Heiko Pleines
Series: Belarus Analytical Digest
Issue: 1
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich; Research Centre for East European Studies (FSO), University of Bremen; Center for Eastern European Studies (CEES), University of Zurich
Publication Year: 2025

This issue analyses the evolution of the Belarus’s political system after 2020. The first contribution by Piotr Rudkouski and Piotr Lichacz examines Belarus’s 2020 pro-democracy mobilisation within the context of global democratic decline, highlighting domestic drivers such as changing values and demand for meritocratic leadership amid limited external support. Additionally, Stephen Hall analyses the regime’s post-2020 reliance on Russia amid strained Western ties and public opposition to the war in Ukraine. While consolidating power through constitutional reforms, Lukashenka seeks neutrality and cautiously engages with the West to reduce his dependence on Moscow.

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