Dossier on Belarus

Focus on Belarus

11/08/2020
Young people in Minsk protest against the results of the 2020 Belarussian presidential election. © imago images / ITAR-TASS

According to official results, Belarusian president Aliaksandr Lukashenka has been reelected for another turn on 9 August. In the aftermath of the election, massive protests are taking place in the country. In the light of these current events, ZOiS has put together a dossier on politics and society in Belarus.

ZOiS Publications on Belarus

External Publications by ZOiS experts

Bystro #23: Hat der Protest Belarus bereits verändert?

Der Politikwissenschaftler Félix Krawatzek spricht bei Dekoder über die Proteste in Belarus. Im #bystro-Interview geht er auf die Stimmung im Land ein, beschreibt die Gründe hinter den Protesten und erläutert, wie herausforderned wisseschaftliche Umfragen unter schwierigen politischen Bedingungen sind.

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Nadja Douglas: Die Beziehungen zwischen Belarus und Russland seit 1991

Die Hoffnung, Präsident des Unionsstaates zu werden, war wohl einst der geheime Wunsch Alexander Lukaschenkos, als er im Dezember 1999 den Vertrag über die Gründung einer Staatenunion mit Russland unterzeichnete. Doch bislang hat das Unionstaat-Modell für Belarus wenige Früchte getragen. Präsident Lukaschenko selbst ist heute mehr denn je in der Position des Bittstellers und Junior-Partners gegenüber Russland. 

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Gwendolyn Sasse: Belarus’s Optimistic Protesters and Putin’s Intentions (Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe)

In an article for Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe, ZOiS director Gwendolyn Sasse presents the results of a new survey conducted by the MOBILISE project among protesters in Belarus. A majority of the participants remain optimimstic that the protests will succeed in ousting Lukashenko.

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Regina Elsner: "The Church is Always with the People": An Orthodox Paradigm in Political Turmoil (Berkley Forum)

In a blog post for the Berkley Forum (Georgetown University), theologian Regina Elsner (ZOiS) takes a look at the role of the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC) in the current protests following the presidential elections in Belarus.

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Félix Krawatzek: Young Belarusians are turning away from Russia and looking towards Europe (The Conversation)

Political scientist Félix Krawatzek (ZOiS) presents date from a ZOiS survey in June 2020. Among other topics, the survey asked young Belarusians what kind of relationship they want Belarus to have with the EU and Russia. Other questions dealt with identities and language.

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Regina Elsner: Religion and Civil Disobedience: The Orthodox Church and Political Protests in Belarus

"The Church’s attitude towards the protests and political situation in Belarus illustrates some important developments within Russian and Belarusian Orthodoxy since the end of the Soviet Union." For "Talk About: Law and Religion", the blog of the international Center for Law and Religion Studies, theologian Regina Elsner took a look at the church's role concerning the protests in Belarus.

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Digital Natives versus Security Hardliners

In DGAP'S Berlin Policy Journal, Nadja Douglas and Félix Krawatzek write about the protest movement in Belarus. Presenting data from a survey among young people in Belarus, they show that trust in key state institutions has been eroding in the first half of 2020 in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Media coverage featuring ZOiS experts

12 September 2021

In an article for the Hauptstadtbrief, Gwendolyn Sasse takes a look at Belarus and analyses the relationship between Lukashenka and Putin. (German)

15 August 2021

In an article for the Hauptstadtbrief, Gwendolyn Sasse summarises developments in Belarus since the 2020 presidential elections (German).

7 August 2021

In an interview with NDR Info, Félix Krawatzek comments on the situation in Belarus one year after the 2020 presidential elections and the regime’s instrumentalisation of refugees against the EU (German).

3 August 2021

After the Belarusian activist Vital Shyshou was found dead in Kiev, Félix Krawatzek gives background information on the repression of the Lukashenko regime and the situation in Belarus on Deutschlandfunk (German).

3 June 2021

For Carnegie Europe, Gwendolyn Sasse and other experts comment on EU sanctions and their impact on Lukashenka (English).

28 May 2021

Deutschlandfunk Kultur discusses, among others, with Gwendolyn Sasse about Europe's sanctions against Belarus (German).

26 May 2021

On Detektor.fm, Félix Krawatzek comments on the EU sanctions against Belarus.

25 May 2021

Carnegie Europe reports on the EU's sanctions against Belarus following the arrest of a journalist in Minsk. The article also mentions a recent ZOiS study on Belarus (English).

17 April 2021

RND reports about a ZOiS online survey in Belarus and quoting Gwendolyn Sasse (German).

2 April 2021

Belsat TV reports online on the results of a ZOiS survey in Belarus (English).

1 April 2021

The article of TUT.BY refers to a recent ZOiS online survey on Belarus (Russian).

31 March 2021

In an interview with Gwendolyn Sasse about Belarus, Deutsche Welle refers to a recent ZOiS online survey in which the social and political moods in Belarusian society were evaluated (Russian).

29 March 2021

Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports on possible new elections in Belarus and refers to a recent ZOiS online survey (Russian).

24 February 2021

NOEK reports on Belarus and the latest survey results of a recent ZOiS survey (German).

11 February 2021

In a blog entry for Judy Dempsey's Strategic Europe, Gwendolyn Sasse presents fresh data from a ZOiS survey in Belarus (English).

4 February 2021

In the podcast The Conversation Weekly, Félix Krawatzek speaks about the initial findings from a new ZOiS survey in Belarus. (English)

4 February 2021

In their new piece for The Conversation, Gwendolyn Sasse and Félix Krawatzek present fresh ZOiS survey data on protests in Belarus (English).

3 December 2020

Gwendolyn Sasse writes for Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe blog (also published in the Kyiv Post) about the results of a new survey among the protesters in Belarus and analyses what they mean for the EU (English).

30 November 2020

In an interview at Deutschlandfunk, Nadja Douglas talks about the situation in Belarus (German).

24 November 2020

In an article for Neweurope, Nadja Douglas explains how the Belarusians have lost their trust in the authorities (English).

7 November 2020

In a guest contribution for Hauptstadtbrief, Gwendolyn Sasse presents fresh data from surveys among protesters in Belarus. The surveys were conducted as part of the MOBILISE project (German).

26 October 2020

In an interview with a podcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk, Nadja Douglas is interviewed about the current situation in Belarus (German).

13 October 2020

In a contribution to Judy Dempsey's Strategic Europe, Gwendolyn Sasse writes about the latest developments and possible perspectives in Belarus (English).

7 October 2020

In an interview for Russian TV broadcaster RTVi, Nadja Douglas weighs in on Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's visit in Berlin (Russian).

6 October 2020

In an interview for The Globalist on Monocle 24, Gwendolyn Sasse talks about the ongoing protests in Belarus and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's visit in Berlin (English, starting at minute 26)

19 September 2020

In a radio interview for the German broadcasting station mdr, Nadja Douglas gives her assessment of the current relationship between Belarus and Russia (German).

15 September 2020

In an interview with WDR 5, Gwendolyn Sasse speaks about the talks between Lukashenka and Putin (German).

14 September 2020

On SWR 2 aktuell, Gwendolyn Sasse offers some background information to the meeting of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Russian president Vladimir Putin (German).

12 September 2020

In an article for the Hauptstadtbrief, Gwendolyn Sasse discusses the position towards Russia in the context of the poisining of Navalny and mass mobilisation in Belarus (German).

10 September 2020

In a radio interview with Deutschlandfunk, Gwendolyn Sasse speaks about the situation of the opposition in Belarus after the arrest of leading members of the Coordination Council (German).

9 September 2020

In an article about the protest movement in Belarus the German newspaper Die Welt quotes Félix Krawatzek (German).

7 September 2020

In an interview with MDR Aktuell, Nadja Douglas talks about the protests in Belarus and the role of Russia (German).

30 August 2020

The Mexican newspaper El Universal reports on the current situation in Belarus, quoting Gwendolyn Sasse (Spanish).

29 August 2020

A FAZ article on Belarus cites theologian Regina Elsner as well as from the youth study conducted by Félix Krawatzek (German).

28 August 2020

"Summer Talk" with Gwendolyn Sasse for the Austrian radio station Ö1 on current developments in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Belarus (German).

24 August 2020

Regina Elsner contributes an article for the ICLRS (International Centre for Law and Religion Studies) about the orthodox church and the political protest in Belarus (English).

24 August 2020

In an interview with tagesschau, Gwendolyn Sasse talks about the tensions in Belarus and the role of Russia (German).

24 August 2020

In reporting on Russia's role concerning Belarus, the Tagesspiegel includes comments by Gwendolyn Sasse (German).

23 August 2020

Gwendolyn Sasse comments on the current events in Belarus in ARD Weltspiegel (German).

23 August 2020

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, Félix Krawatzek assesses the situation in Belarus (German).

22 August 2020

Gwendolyn Sasse analyses the situation in Belarus for the Hauptstadtbrief (Berliner Morgenpost) (German).

21 August 2020

In an overview article on the current situation in Belarus, the German online magazine Krautreporter refers to the Spotlight 30/2020 by Félix Krawatzek and Maryia Rohava (German).

20 August 2020

Gwendolyn Sasse gives a statement about how the EU should deal with the situation in Belarus in Carnegie Europe (English).

20 August 2020

A NZZ (Switzerland) article about the role of young people in the protests in Belarus includes extensive comments by Félix Krawatzek (German).

19 August 2020

DW Deutsch's reporting on the protests in Belarus includes comments by Félix Krawatzek (German).

19 August 2020

A tagesschau.de report on Belarus cites Gwendolyn Sasse (German).

19 August 2020

In a Reuters report, Gwendolyn Sasse is cited calling the EU's task in dealing with the situtation in Belarus a "balancing act" (German).

19 August 2020

For the daily newspaper Tagesspiegel, Oliver Bilger discusses the probabilty of a Russian military intervention in Belarus, citing among others ZOiS director Gwendolyn Sasse (German).

18 August 2020

DW Español's reporting on the protests in Belarus includes comments by Félix Krawatzek (Spanish).

17 August 2020

Gwendolyn Sasse was a guest for the Swiss radio show "Tagesgespräch" (SRF) where she talked about the situation in Belarus (German).

16 August 2020

For the Hauptstadtbrief (Berliner Morgenpost), Gwendolyn Sasse analysed the current situation in Belarus (German).

13 August 2020

As a guest of ZDF's Morgenmagazin (TV), Gwendolyn Sasse talked about the situation in Belarus (German).

11 August 2020

The Day (DW News) reports on the current situation in Belarus - featuring comments by Félix Krawatzek (English).

10 August

A tagesschau.de article also mentions the ZOiS Spotlight by Félix Krawatzek (ZOiS) and Maryia Rohava on Belarus ahead of the presidential election (German)

7 August 2020

In his blog distribution for Monkey Cage, Félix Krawatzek references ZOiS surveys concerning Belarus (English).

5 August 2020

In an article about the presidential election in Belarus, the Swiss newspaper NZZ refers to the ZOiS Spotlight 30/2020 by Félix Krawatzek and Maryia Rohava (German).

16 July 2020

German newspaper FAZ quotes a ZOiS onilne survey about the election in Belarus (German).

13 July 2020

In a TV-interview with ARD-alpha, ZOiS researcher Nadja Douglas comments on the situation in Belarus ahead of the election (German).