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Alexander Lukashenko

April 11, 2023

"Lukashenko" redirects here. For other people with the name, see Lukashenko (surname).

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Grigoryevich and the family name is Lukashenko.

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;[b] born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the establishment of the office on 20 July 1994, making him the longest-sitting European president.[4][5]

Alexander Lukashenko
Александр Лукашенко
Аляксанд(а)р Лукашэнка
Aliaksandar Lukashenka
Lukashenko in 2022
President of Belarus
Assumed office
20 July 1994
Disputed since 23 September 2020[1]
Prime Minister
Preceded byMyechyslaw Hryb
(as head of state and Chairman of the Supreme Council)
Chairman of the Supreme State Council
of the Union State
Assumed office
26 January 2000
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
General Secretary
Preceded byOffice established
Member of the Supreme Council of Belarus
In office
25 August 1991 – 20 July 1994
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko

(1954-08-30) 30 August 1954 (age 68)
Kopys, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (now Belarus)
Political partyIndependent (1992–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
​
(m. 1975)​
Children
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionEconomist and collective farmer[2]
Signature
Websitepresident.gov.by/en/
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service
Years of service
  • 1975–1977
  • 1980–1982
  • 1994–present
RankCommander-in-Chief
Lieutenant colonel[3]

Before his political career, Lukashenko worked as director of a state farm (sovkhoz), and served in the Soviet Border Troops and in the Soviet Army.

Lukashenko continued state ownership of key industries in Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and retained important Soviet-era symbolism, which can be seen in the coat of arms and national flag of Belarus, adopted following a controversial 1995 referendum, which were based on those of the Byelorussian SSR. Following the same referendum, Lukashenko was given more power with the ability to dismiss the Supreme Soviet of Belarus and another referendum in 1996 allowed Lukashenko to further consolidate power. The Russian language was also given the same status as Belarusian, and economic ties with Russia were strengthened, which furthermore led to the creation of the Union State with Russia, which allows Belarusians to freely travel to, work, and study in Russia, and vice versa. However, relations with Russia have not always run smoothly under his tenure, such as during the Milk War.[6]

Lukashenko heads an authoritarian government and has referred to himself as the "last dictator" in Europe.[7] Elections are not considered to be free and fair by international monitors, opponents of the regime are repressed, and the media is not free,[8][9] leading to sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials being imposed.[10] His disputed victory in the country's 2020 presidential election led to widespread allegations of vote rigging, which strongly amplified anti-government protests, the largest during his rule.[5] Following the contested election, Lukashenko is not recognized by the United Kingdom, the European Union, or the United States as the legitimate president of Belarus.[11][12]

Early life, family and education

Lukashenko was born on 30 August 1954[13][14] in the settlement of Kopys in the Vitebsk Oblast of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Starting with an interview given in 2009 Lukashenko has said that his actual birthday is 31 August, the same as his son's Nikolai's.[15] This caused some confusion as all official sources had said 30 August 1954 up until then. An explanation was later given that his mother had entered the hospital on the 30th in labor but not given birth until after midnight.[16]

His maternal grandfather, Trokhym Ivanovich Lukashenko, had been born in the Sumy Oblast of Ukraine near Shostka (today village of Sobycheve).[17] Lukashenko grew up without a father in his childhood, leading him to be taunted by his schoolmates for having an unmarried mother.[18] Due to this, the origin of his patronymic Grigorevich is unknown and there are various rumors about who Lukashenko's father might have been with the most popular version being that he was a Roma passing through the region.[19] His mother, Ekaterina Trofimovna Lukashenko (1924–2015), gave birth to another son, Alexander's older brother who died. Ekaterina worked unskilled jobs on a railway, at a construction site, at a flax factory in Orsha and finally as a milkmaid in Alexandria, a small village in the east of Belarus, close to the Russian border.[20]

Lukashenko went to Alexandria secondary school. He graduated from the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute (now Mogilev State A. Kuleshov University) in 1975, after 4 years studying there and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in Horki in 1985.

Military and early politics career

He served in the Soviet Border Troops from 1975 to 1977, where he was an instructor of the political department of military unit No. 2187 of the Western Frontier District in Brest and in the Soviet Army from 1980 to 1982. In addition, he led an All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol) chapter in Mogilev from 1977 to 1978. While in the Soviet Army, Lukashenko was a deputy political officer of the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division, which was based in Minsk.[21]

In 1979, he joined the ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Byelorussia. After leaving the military, he became the deputy chairman of a collective farm in 1982 and in 1985, he was promoted to the post of director of the Gorodets state farm and construction materials plant in the Shklow district.[22] In 1987, he was appointed as the director of the Gorodets state farm in Shklow district and in early 1988, was one of the first in Mogilev Region to introduce a leasing contract to a state farm.[23]

In 1990, Lukashenko was elected Deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR. Having acquired a reputation as an eloquent opponent of corruption, Lukashenko was elected in April 1993 to serve as the interim chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament.[24] In late 1993 he accused 70 senior government officials, including the Supreme Soviet chairman Stanislav Shushkevich and prime minister Vyacheslav Kebich, of corruption including stealing state funds for personal purposes. While the charges ultimately proved to be without merit, Shushkevich resigned his chairmanship due to the embarrassment of this series of events and losing a vote of no-confidence.[25][26] He served in that position until July 1994.

Presidency

First term (1994–2001)

See also: 1994 Belarusian presidential election
 
The 1995 hunger strike of deputies in the Supreme Council building

A new Belarusian constitution enacted in early 1994 paved the way for the first democratic presidential election on 23 June and 10 July. Six candidates stood in the first round, including Lukashenko, who campaigned as an independent on a populist platform. In an interview with The New York Times, he declared: "I am neither with the leftists nor the rightists. But with the people against those who rob and deceive them".[27] Stanislav Shushkevich and Vyacheslav Kebich also ran, with the latter regarded as the clear favorite.[28] Lukashenko won 45.1% of the vote while Kebich received 17.4%, Zianon Pazniak received 12.9% and Shushkevich, along with two other candidates, received less than 10% of votes.[28]

Lukashenko won the second round of the election on 10 July with 80.1% of the vote.[28][29] The presidential inauguration was held in the halls of the Government House, on 20 July 1994, exactly ten days after the election, during a special meeting of the parliament, the Supreme Council.[30] Shortly after his inauguration, he addressed the State Duma of the Russian Federation in Moscow proposing a new Union of Slavic states, which would culminate in the creation of the Union of Russia and Belarus in 1999.[31]

 
President Lukashenko on a postage stamp from 1996

In February 1995, Lukashenko announced his intention to hold a referendum. For the young democratic republic this raised the controversial issue of the Russification of Belarus. Lukashenko said he would press ahead with the referendum regardless of opposition in the Supreme Council and threatened to suspend its activities if it did not agree to hold the referendum. On 11 April 1995, a vote was held in parliament on calling a referendum on four issues proposed by Lukashenko: 1) granting Russian the status of a state language, 2) changing state symbols, 3) on economic integration with Russia and 4) on giving the president the right to dissolve parliament. The deputies rejected all issues, except for the issue of economic integration with Russia.[32][33] It is unclear whether the president had legal power independently to call referendums, and if so, if they would be binding. Lukashenko stated that the referendum would be held despite the rejection by the deputies.

In protest, 19 out of a total of 238 deputies of the Belarusian Popular Front led by Zianon Pazniak and the Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly led by Oleg Trusov (b. Алег Анатолевіч Трусаў) began a hunger strike in the parliamentary meeting room and stayed there overnight on the night of 11–12 April. At night, under the pretext of a bomb threat, unidentified law enforcement personnel attacked and forcibly expelled the deputies. Lukashenko stated that he personally ordered the evacuation for security purposes. The Supreme Council accepted to hold the referendum on 13 April and in May 1995, Belarusian authorities held a referendum on the four issues.[34] The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly found neither the referendum nor the 1995 Belarusian parliamentary election which took place in the same month to have met conditions for free and fair elections.[35]

 
Official ceremony of signing Treaty on Establishing Russian-Belarusian Union at the Kremlin Palace, between the Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Lukashenko, 1997

In the summer of 1996, deputies of the 199-member Belarusian parliament signed a petition to impeach Lukashenko on charges of violating the Constitution.[37] Shortly after that, a referendum was held on 24 November 1996 in which four questions were offered by Lukashenko and three offered by a group of Parliament members. The questions ranged from social issues (changing the independence day to 3 July (the date of the liberation of Minsk from Nazi forces in 1944), abolition of the death penalty) to the national constitution. As a result of the referendum, the constitution that was amended by Lukashenko was accepted and the one amended by the Supreme Council was voided. On 25 November, it was announced that 70.5% of voters, of an 84% turnout, had approved the amended constitution. The US and the EU, however, refused to accept the legitimacy of the referendum.[38]

After the referendum, Lukashenko convened a new parliamentary assembly from those members of the parliament who were loyal to him.[39] After between ten and twelve deputies withdrew their signature from the impeachment petition, only about forty deputies of the old parliament were left and the Supreme Council was dismissed by Lukashenko.[40] Nevertheless, international organizations and many Western countries do not recognize the current parliament given the way it was formed.[41][42] Lukashenko was elected chairman of the Belarusian Olympic Committee in 1997.[43] At the start of 1998, the Central Bank of Russia suspended trading in the Belarusian ruble, which led to a collapse in the value of the currency. Lukashenko responded by taking control of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, sacking the entire bank leadership and blaming the West for the free fall of the currency.[44]

 
Alexander Lukashenko standing with Vladimir Putin and Leonid Kuchma at the Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2001

Lukashenko blamed foreign governments for conspiring against him and, in April 1998, expelled ambassadors from the Drazdy complex near Minsk and moved them to another building. The Drazdy conflict caused an international outcry and resulted in a travel ban on Lukashenko from the EU and the US.[45] Although the ambassadors eventually returned after the controversy died down, Lukashenko stepped up his rhetorical attacks against the West. He stated that Western governments were trying to undermine Belarus at all levels, even sports, during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.[46]

Upon the outbreak of the Kosovo War in 1999, Lukashenko suggested to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević that Yugoslavia join the Union of Russia and Belarus.[47]

Second term (2001–2006)

See also: 2001 Belarusian presidential election

Under the original constitution, Lukashenko should have been up for reelection in 1999. However, the 1996 referendum extended Lukashenko's term for two additional years. In the 9 September 2001 election, Lukashenko faced Vladimir Goncharik and Sergei Gaidukevich.[48] During the campaign, Lukashenko promised to raise the standards of farming, social benefits and increase industrial output of Belarus.[49] Lukashenko won in the first round with 75.65% of the vote. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the process "failed to meet international standards".[49]

 
Meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2006

Jane's Intelligence Digest surmised that the price of Russian support for Lukashenko ahead of the 2001 presidential election was the surrender of Minsk's control over its section of the Yamal–Europe gas pipeline.[50] After the results were announced declaring Lukashenko the winner, Russia publicly welcomed Lukashenko's re-election; the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, telephoned Lukashenko and offered a message of congratulations and support.[49]

Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, American intelligence agencies reported that aides of Saddam Hussein managed to acquire Belarusian passports while in Syria, but that it was unlikely that Belarus would offer a safe haven for Saddam and his two sons.[51] This action, along with arms deals with Iraq and Iran, prompted Western governments to take a tougher stance against Lukashenko. The US was particularly angered by the arms sales, and American political leaders increasingly began to refer to Belarus as "Europe's last dictatorship".[52] The EU was concerned for the security of its gas supplies from Russia, which are piped through Belarus, and took an active interest in Belarusian affairs. With the accession of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, the EU's border with Belarus has grown to more than 1000 kilometers.[53]

During a televised address to the nation on 7 September 2004, Lukashenko announced plans for a referendum to eliminate presidential term limits. This was held on 17 October 2004, the same day as parliamentary elections, and, according to official results, was approved by 79.42% of voters. Previously, Lukashenko had been limited to two terms and thus would have been constitutionally required to step down after the presidential elections in 2006.[18][54] Opposition groups, the OSCE, the European Union, and the US State Department stated that the vote fell short of international standards. Belarus grew economically under Lukashenko, but much of this growth was due to Russian crude oil which was imported at below-market prices, refined, and sold to other European countries at a profit.[18]

Third term (2006–2010)

Main article: 2006 Belarusian presidential election
 
Lukashenko with Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin, December 2008

After Lukashenko confirmed he was running for re-election in 2005, opposition groups began to seek a single candidate. On 16 October 2005, on the Day of Solidarity with Belarus, the political groups Zubr and Third Way Belarus encouraged all opposition parties to rally behind one candidate to oppose Lukashenko in the 2006 election. Their chosen candidate was Alexander Milinkevich.[55] Lukashenko reacted by saying that anyone going to opposition protests would have their necks wrung "as one might a duck".[18] On 19 March 2006, exit polls showed Lukashenko winning a third term in a landslide, amid opposition reports of vote-rigging and fear of violence. The Belarusian Republican Youth Union gave Lukashenko 84.2% and Milinkevich 3.1%. The Gallup Organisation noted that the Belarusian Republican Youth Union are government-controlled and released the exit poll results before noon on election day even though voting stations did not close until 8 pm.[56]

Belarusian authorities vowed to prevent any large-scale demonstrations following the election (such as those that marked the Orange Revolution in Ukraine). Despite their efforts, the opposition had the largest number of demonstrators in years, with nightly protests in Minsk continuing for a number of days after the election. The largest protest occurred on election night; reporters for the Associated Press estimated that approximately 10,000 people turned out.[57] Election observers from the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) differed on the Belarusian election.[58]

 
Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko observed the final phase of the Zapad-2009 strategic exercises that took place in Baranavichy, Belarus.

The OSCE declared on 20 March 2006 that the "presidential election failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections." Lukashenko "permitted State authority to be used in a manner which did not allow citizens to freely and fairly express their will at the ballot box... a pattern of intimidation and the suppression of independent voices... was evident throughout the campaign."[59] The heads of all 25 EU countries declared that the election was "fundamentally flawed".[60] In contrast, the Russian minister of foreign affairs declared, "Long before the elections, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights had declared that they [the elections] would be illegitimate and it was pretty biased in its commentaries on their progress and results, thus playing an instigating role."[60] Lukashenko later stated that he had rigged the election results, but against himself, in order to obtain a majority more typical of European countries. Although he had won 93.5% of the vote, he said, he had directed the government to announce a result of 86%.[61][62]

Some Russian nationalists, such as Dmitry Rogozin and the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, stated that they would like to see Lukashenko become President of Russia in 2008. Lukashenko responded that he would not run for the Russian presidency, but that if his health was still good, he might run for reelection in 2011.[63]

In September 2008, parliamentary elections were held. Lukashenko had allowed some opposition candidates to stand, though in the official results, opposition members failed to get any of the 110 available seats. OSCE observers described the vote as "flawed", including "several cases of deliberate falsification of results".[64] Opposition members and supporters demonstrated in protest.[64] According to the Nizhny Novgorod-based CIS election observation mission, the findings of which are often dismissed by the West,[65] the elections in Belarus conformed to international standards.[66] Lukashenko later commented that the opposition in Belarus was financed by foreign countries and was not needed.[67]

In April 2009, he held talks with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, Lukashenko's first visit to Western Europe after a travel ban on him a decade earlier.[68]

Fourth term (2010–2015)

Main article: 2010 Belarusian presidential election
 
Lukashenko and Putin at the Russian-Belarusian strategic military exercises in 2013

Lukashenko was one of ten candidates registered for the presidential election held in Belarus on 19 December 2010. Though originally envisaged for 2011, an earlier date was approved "to ensure the maximum participation of citizens in the electoral campaign and to set most convenient time for the voters".[69] The run-up to the campaign was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko.[70] The Central Election Committee said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total that Lukashenko would get.[71] Though opposition figures alleged intimidation[72] and that "dirty tricks" were being played, the election was seen as comparatively open as a result of desire to improve relations with both Europe and the US.[71]

On election day, two presidential candidates were seriously beaten by police[73] in different opposition rallies.[74][75][76] On the night of the election, opposition protesters chanting "Out!", "Long live Belarus!" and other similar slogans attempted to storm the building of the government of Belarus, smashing windows and doors before riot police were able to push them back.[77] The number of protesters was reported by major news media as being around or above 10,000 people.[78][79][80][81] At least seven of the opposition presidential candidates were arrested.[73]

Several of the opposition candidates, along with their supporters and members of the media, were arrested. Many were sent to prison, often on charges of organizing a mass disturbance. Examples include Andrei Sannikov,[82] Alexander Otroschenkov,[83] Ales Michalevic,[84] Mikola Statkevich,[85] and Uladzimir Nyaklyayew.[86] Sannikov's wife, journalist Irina Khalip, was put under house arrest.[87] Yaraslau Ramanchuk's party leader, Anatoly Lebedko, was also arrested.[88]

 
Lukashenko giving a speech in 2014

The CEC said that Lukashenko won 79.65% of the vote (he gained 5,130,557 votes) with 90.65% of the electorate voting.[89] The OSCE categorized the elections as "flawed" while the CIS mission observers praised them as "free and transparent".[citation needed] However, the OSCE also stated that some improvements were made in the run-up to the election, including the candidates' use of television debates and ability to deliver their messages unhindered.[90] Several European foreign ministers issued a joint statement calling the election and its aftermath an "unfortunate step backwards in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights in Belarus."[91]

Lukashenko's inauguration ceremony of 22 January 2011 was boycotted by EU ambassadors, and only thirty-two foreign diplomats attended.[92] During this ceremony, Lukashenko defended the legitimacy of his re-election and vowed that Belarus would never have its own version of the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine or Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution.[92]

Effective 31 January 2011, the EU renewed a travel ban, prohibiting Lukashenko and 156 of his associates from traveling to EU member countries, as a result of the crackdown on opposition supporters.[93][94][95]

Lukashenko was supportive of China's Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure development strategy, and the inception in 2012 of the associated low-tax China–Belarus Industrial Park near Minsk National Airport planned to grow to 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi) by the 2060s.[96][97]

Fifth term (2015–2020)

Main article: 2015 Belarusian presidential election
See also: Fifth inauguration of Alexander Lukashenko
 
Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in 2016
 
Meeting of CIS leaders in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, September 2016

On 11 October 2015, Lukashenko was elected for his fifth term as the president of Belarus. Just over three weeks later, he was inaugurated in the Independence Palace in the presence of attendees such as former president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Chairman of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov and Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva.[98] On mid-September 2017, Lukashenko oversaw the advancement of joint Russian and Belarusian military relations during the military drills that were part of the Zapad 2017 exercise.[99][100]

In August 2018, Lukashenko fired his prime minister Andrei Kobyakov and various other officials due to a corruption scandal.[101] Sergei Rumas was appointed to take his place as prime minister.[101] In May 2017, Lukashenko signed a decree on the Foundation of the Directorate of the 2019 European Games in Minsk.[102]

In April 2019, Lukashenko announced that the games were on budget and on time and eventually he opened the 2nd edition of the event on 21 June.[103][104] Between 1–3 July 2019, he oversaw the country's celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Minsk Offensive, which culminated in an evening military parade of the Armed Forces of Belarus on the last day, which is the country's Independence Day.[105]

 
Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands with Lukashenko in Zhytomyr, October 2019

In August 2019, Lukashenko met with former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who has lived in exile in Minsk since 2010, in the Palace of Independence to mark Bakiyev's 70th birthday, which he had marked several days earlier.[106] The meeting, which included the presentation of traditional flowers and symbolic gifts, angered the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry which stated that the meeting "fundamentally does not meet the principles of friendship and cooperation between the two countries".[107][108][109][110] In November 2019, Lukashenko visited the Austrian capital of Vienna on a state visit, which was his first in three years to an EU country. During the visit, he met with President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein, and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka. He also paid his respects at the Soviet War Memorial at the Schwarzenbergplatz.[111][112][113]

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, he undertook two working visits to Russia, one of the few European leaders to undertake foreign visits during the pandemic. He also received Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán during his state visit to Minsk.[114] Orbán called for an end to EU sanctions on Belarus during this visit.[115] His first visit to Russia was to attend the rescheduled Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square together with his son.[116]

Sixth term (2020–present)

Main articles: 2020 Belarusian presidential election and 2020–2021 Belarusian protests

On 9 August 2020, according to the preliminary count, Lukashenko was re-elected for his sixth term as the President of Belarus.[117] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the election was "not free [or] fair".[118]

Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election which was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud.[119][120] Subsequently, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya claimed she had received between 60 and 70% of the vote[121][122] and formed a Coordination council to facilitate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power in Belarus.[123][124]

Lukashenko, with a gun, arrived by helicopter in the Palace of Independence.

On 15 August 2020, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevičius referred to Lukashenko as the "former president" of Belarus.[125] It was reported that President Lukashenko's authorities asked Kremlin representatives about the possibility of Lukashenko escaping to Russia. Furthermore, it was reported that Russia admits that Lukashenko's resignation from the post of head of state is likely.[126][127]

On 17 August 2020, the members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement which stated that they do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus, considering him to be persona non grata in the European Union.[128] On 19 August, the member states of the European Union agreed to not recognise the results and issued a statement saying "The 9 August elections were neither free nor fair, therefore we do not recognise the results".[129] The governments of the United States,[12] United Kingdom and Canada have also refused to recognise the results. In an interview on 22 August, Josep Borrell explicitly stated that the European Union does not recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus in the same manner that it does not recognise Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.[130]

On 23 August 2020, footage emerged showing Lukashenko at the Independence Palace in Minsk. In the first two videos, he is seen walking near a helicopter, wearing a bullet proof vest and holding an assault rifle (possibly an AK-47)[131] and then walking around the palace grounds. In the latter footage, Lukashenko was heard to say "Leave me alone," and "There is no one left there, right?". His 15-year-old son, Nikolai, was seen with him dressed in military uniform and holding a gun.[132][133]

In a third video, he is seen surveying protestors from a helicopter and is heard saying "How the rats ran away" in an apparent reference to the protesters. In a fourth video, Lukashenko was seen removing the former flag of Belarus from a flower bed, waving at security personnel and in reference to protesters, saying "we will deal with them".[134] On 30 August, the Independence Palace became again a scene of protests. When questioned about the whereabouts of Alexander Lukashenko on this day, his publicity team released an undated photograph of him walking around the grounds of the Independence Palace holding a gun.[135]

 
Lukashenko and Putin in February 2021

On 23 September 2020, Lukashenko was formally inaugurated president for a sixth term in a ceremony at the Palace of Independence attended by an invited group of 700 guests.[136]

On 27 November 2020, Lukashenko announced that he would resign once Belarus' new constitution was adopted.[137]

In December, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to exclude until further notice all members of the Belarusian Olympic Committee from all IOC events, specifically targeting Lukashenko who was elected as its chairman in 1997.[138]

On 17 April 2021, Russia's FSB security service exposed an alleged military coup and assassination attempt of Lukashenko.[139] Russia also stated that it prevented Lukashenko's murder.[139] Two suspects, who were detained at Lukashenko's request, were Alexander Feduta [ru; be] and Yuri Zenkovich [ru; be].[139] Both are critics of Lukashenko, with the latter being a dual American-Belarusian citizen, despite Belarus not recognizing dual citizenship.[139]

On 24 April 2021, Lukashenko announced that he would sign a decree to amend emergency transfer of power. "I will sign a decree about how the power in Belarus will be set up. If the President is shot the security council will get the power." Lukashenko is the head of the Security Council himself; however, his eldest son, Victor Lukashenko, is regarded as its informal leader. Under current law, the prime minister assumes the presidential powers if the presidency becomes vacant, but Lukashenko said that the prime minister will only become the nominal leader and all decisions would be taken by the 20-person security council, by secret ballot.

The president is yet to sign the decree and it would also be unconstitutional as Article 89 states how emergency transition of power is set up. This move was seen to empower his son, to be in the perfect position to succeed him in the next elections, to also prevent the opposition gaining power and as insurance against a "bad" prime minister. It is to note that all Security Council members are Lukashenko's most loyal allies.[citation needed]

On 5 May 2021, Belarusians in Germany filed a legal complaint against Lukashenko for 'state torture' and 'crimes against humanity.' If he enters Germany he risks trial or if convicted and enters Germany faces punishment given by court.[140] Lukashenko responded that Germany was not in a position to criticize him, referring to the German Government as the "Heirs of Fascism". At the same time, he said that he will not resign, a reversal from his statement in November, but said he will call early presidential elections if and only if the United States does so as well.

 
Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2021

On 9 May 2021, Lukashenko signed a presidential decree titled "On the Protection of sovereignty and constitutional order". The contingency decree states that in the event that the President is unable to perform his duties, martial law will be immediately imposed and presidential power will be transferred to the Security Council, which is widely believed to be made up of strong allies of Lukashenko. It also states that it is the responsibility of the Security Council to organise new presidential elections. Despite clearly contradicting Article 89 of the constitution, Belarusian authorities praised the decree and declared it fully complies with legislation and is constitutional.

A deputy from the House of Representatives told state media, 1 Беларусь, "The decree is very necessary and timely. It fully complies with the legislation and is aimed at strengthening the sovereignty, independence and security of our citizens. Why? It's no secret that a hybrid war is now actually waged against Belarus. Moreover, we are at a point where an armed coup d'etat was made. So when someone says, how is it possible? But look at post-Soviet countries, look at the Middle East, look at events all over the world. Presidents are assassinated and countries taken over. Yugoslavia was bombed in the centre of Europe, look at what happened in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia. All these so-called revolutions are illegal coup d'etat, behind which there is always Western Money and work of Western money and the work of special services. Naturally, we must strengthen our national security and remove these risks. This is exactly what the decree aims at. It aims at making sure that only Belarusians should decide the future of the country."

Domestic policy

See also: Politics of Belarus and Human rights in Belarus

Lukashenko promotes himself as a "man of the people." Lukashenko wanted to rebuild Belarus when he took office;[141] the economy was in freefall due to declining industry and lack of demand for Belarusian goods.[142] Lukashenko kept many industries under the control of the government.[143] In 2001, he stated his intention to improve the social welfare of his citizens and to make Belarus "powerful and prosperous."[144]

With the ascent to power of Lukashenko in 1994, the Russification policy of Russian Imperial and Soviet era was renewed.[145][146][147][148]

Since the November 1996 referendum, Lukashenko has effectively held all governing power in the nation. Under the Constitution, if the House of Representatives rejects his choice for prime minister twice, he has the right to dissolve it. His decrees have greater weight than ordinary legislation. He also has near-absolute control over government spending; parliament can only increase or decrease spending with his permission.[40] However, the legislature is dominated by his supporters in any event, and there is no substantive opposition to presidential decisions. Indeed, every seat in the lower house has been held by pro-Lukashenko MPs for all but one term since 2004. He also appoints eight members of the upper house, the Council of the Republic, as well as nearly all judges.

Economy

See also: Economy of Belarus

Lukashenko's early economic policies aimed to prevent issues that occurred in other post-Soviet states, such as the establishment of oligarchic structures and mass unemployment.[149] The unemployment rate for the country at the end of 2011 was at 0.6% of the population (of 6.86 million eligible workers), a decrease from 1995, when unemployment was 2.9% with a working-eligible population of 5.24 million.[150] The per-capita gross national income rose from US$1,423 in 1993 to US$5,830 at the end of 2011.[151]

One major economic issue Lukashenko faced throughout his presidency was the value of the Belarusian ruble. For a time it was pegged to major foreign currencies, such as the euro, US dollar and the Russian ruble in order to maintain the stability of the Belarusian ruble.[152] Yet, the currency has experienced several periods of devaluation. A major devaluation took place in 2011 after the government announced that average salaries would increase to US$500.[further explanation needed][citation needed] The 2011 devaluation was the largest on record for the past twenty years according to the World Bank.[153]

Belarus also had to seek a bailout from international sources and, although it has received loans from China, loans from the IMF and other agencies depend on how Belarus reforms its economy.[154][155]

Some critics of Lukashenko, including the opposition group Zubr, use the term Lukashism to refer to the political and economic system Lukashenko has implemented in Belarus.[156] The term is also used more broadly to refer to an authoritarian ideology based on a cult of his personality and nostalgia for Soviet times among certain groups in Belarus.[157][158] The US Congress sought to aid the opposition groups by passing the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko's government and provide financial and other support to the opposition.[159]

Lukashenko supporters argue that his rule spared Belarus the turmoil that beset many other former Soviet countries.[160][161] Lukashenko commented on the criticism of him by saying: "I've been hearing these accusations for over 10 years and we have got used to it. We are not going to answer them. I want to come from the premise that the elections in Belarus are held for ourselves. I am sure that it is the Belarusian people who are the masters in our state."[162]

Coronavirus

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus
Lukashenko visited the Lida Central District Hospital in 2021, during his working trip to the Grodno region.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lukashenko stated that concerns about the pandemic were a "frenzy and a psychosis" and that working the tractors, drinking vodka and going to saunas could prevent people from infection from the virus. "People are working in tractors. No one is talking about the virus", Lukashenko said on 16 March 2020. "There, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone". He also said: "I don't drink, but recently I've been saying that people should not only wash their hands with vodka, but also poison the virus with it. You should drink the equivalent of 40–50 milliliters of rectified spirit daily", but he advised against doing so while at work. Lukashenko described these comments as a joke.[163][164][165] By early May, Belarus was reported to have 15,000 diagnosed cases, one of the highest per capita rates of infection in Eastern Europe.[166]

On July 28, 2020, Lukashenko announced he had asymptomatic COVID-19.[167] Neither the Presidential Administration nor the country's health service have commented on this statement.[168][169]

On August 12, 2021, Lukashenko stated that he is strongly opposed to making vaccination mandatory. "There will be no mandatory vaccination in Belarus. I am strongly against it. Vaccination will remain voluntary. If a person wants to be vaccinated it is good, if not, let it be".[170]

Political repression

Torture, sexual abuse and other forms of repression

See also: Human rights issues related to the suppression of the 2020 Belarusian protests and List of deaths related to the 2020 Belarusian protests

On September 1, 2020, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) declared that its experts received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people who were arrested during the protests following the presidential election. The experts also received reports of violence against women and children, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons.[171] According to the OHCHR, both male and female detainees were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Medical records reviewed by OHCHR indicate lesions and other injuries to the male genitalia associated with forcible twisting and rape. Psychological violence, including threats of rape, was also used against detainees.[172]

At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestino prison in Minsk or on the way there. The victims were hospitalized with intramuscular bleeding of the rectum, anal fissure and bleeding, and damage to the mucous membrane of the rectum.[173]

In an interview from September 2020 Lukashenko claimed that detainees faked their bruises, saying, "Some of the girls there had their butts painted in blue".[174] In November 2021, however, Lukashenko confirmed in an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation that people were beaten in Okrestino, saying: "OK, OK, I admit it, I admit it. People were beaten in the Okrestina Detention Centre. But there were police beaten up too and you didn't show this."[175]

In January 2021, an audio recording was released in which the commander of internal troops and deputy interior minister of Belarus Mikalai Karpiankou tells security forces that they can cripple, maim and kill protesters in order to make them understand their actions. This, he says, is justified because anyone who takes to the streets is participating in a kind of guerrilla warfare. In addition, he discussed the establishment of camps, surrounded by barbed wire, where protesters will be detained until the situation calms down. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry stamped the audio file as a fake.[176][177]

However, a phonoscopic examination of the audio recording confirmed that the voice on the recording belongs to Karpiankou.[178] The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed its concern about the remarks.[179] According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, such a camp was indeed used near the town of Slutsk in the days from 13 to 15 August 2020. Many of those detained there are said to have been brought from the Okrestina prison in Minsk.[180]

Forced disappearances

 
A demonstration in Warsaw in 2004, raising awareness about the disappearances of opposition activists in Belarus

In 1999 opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar together with his business associate Anatol Krasouski disappeared. Hanchar and Krasouski disappeared the same day of a broadcast on state television in which President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the chiefs of his security services to crack down on "opposition scum." Although the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB) had them under constant surveillance, the official investigation announced that the case could not be solved. The investigation of the disappearance of journalist Dzmitry Zavadski in 2000 has also yielded no results. Copies of a report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which linked senior Belarusian officials to the cases of disappearances, were confiscated.[181]

In September 2004, the European Union and the United States issued travel bans for five Belarusian officials suspected in being involved in the kidnapping of Zacharanka: Interior Affairs Minister Vladimir Naumov, Prosecutor General Viktor Sheiman, Minister for Sports and Tourism Yuri Sivakov, and Colonel Dmitri Pavlichenko from the Belarus Interior Ministry.[182]

In December 2019, Deutsche Welle published a documentary film in which Yury Garavski, a former member of a special unit of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed that it was his unit which had arrested, taken away and murdered Zecharanka and that they later did the same with Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krassouski.[183]

Assassination plans on dissidents abroad

On January 4, 2021, the EU Observer reported that new evidence, including documents and audio recordings, provide that Belarusian secret services planned to murder dissidents abroad.[184] An audio file, allegedly being a recording from a bugged meeting in 2012, reveals Vadim Zaitsev, the KGB chairman at the time, discussing the murder plot with two officers from the KGB's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit. Translated from Russian, one of the voices in the recording says, "We should be working with Sheremet, who is a massive pain in the arse [inaudible]. We'll plant [a bomb] and so on and this fucking rat will be taken down in fucking pieces, legs in one direction, arms in the other direction. If everything [looks like] natural causes, it won't get into people's minds the same way."[184] In addition to planting a bomb, they also discuss poisoning Sheremet.

Allegations of state-sponsored hijacking

On 23 May 2021, Lukashenko personally ordered Ryanair Flight 4978 en route from Athens to Vilnius, carrying the opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, to land in Belarus.[185] The flight was forced to land at Minsk International Airport shortly before it reached the Lithuanian border after Belarusian air traffic control conveyed a report of explosives on board the plane. The flight was escorted by a Belarusian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet. Belarusian authorities said no explosives were found and arrested Protasevich, who was placed in a list of "individuals involved in terrorist activity" the previous year for his role in the anti-government protests and incitement to Public disorder. The move was condemned by opposition figures, with Tsikhanouskaya saying that Protasevich "faces the death penalty" in Belarus.[186][187][188]

Foreign policy

Further information: Foreign relations of Belarus

Russia

Further information: Belarus–Russia relations
 
With Russian president Vladimir Putin during a news conference in 2002

Lukashenko's relationship with Russia, once his powerful ally and vocal supporter, has significantly deteriorated. The run-up to the 2010 Belarusian presidential election was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko.[70] Throughout July state-controlled channel NTV broadcast a multi-part documentary entitled "The Godfather" highlighting the suspicious disappearance of the opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasouski and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski during the late 1990s.[189] Lukashenko called the media attack "dirty propaganda".[190]

 
Lukashenko with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin in 2020

Despite a historically good relationship with Russia, tensions between Lukashenko and the Russian government started showing in 2020.[191][192] On 24 January 2020, Lukashenko publicly accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of trying to make Belarus a part of Russia.[191] This led to Russia cutting economic subsidies for Belarus.[193] In July 2020, the relationship between Belarus and Russia was described as "strained" after 33 Russian military contractors were arrested in Minsk.[192]

Lukashenko afterwards accused Russia of collaborating with opposition activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski and trying to cover up an attempt to send 200 fighters from a private Russian military firm known as the Wagner Group into Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country ahead of its 9 August presidential election.[194][195] On 5 August 2020, Russia's security chief Dmitry Medvedev warned Belarus to release the contractors.[193] Lukashenko also claimed Russia was lying about its attempts to use the Wagner Group to influence the upcoming election.[196]

On 11 November 2021, Lukashenko raised the possibility of interrupting the Yamal–Europe pipeline carrying Russian gas to the European Union if the bloc imposes further sanctions on Belarus.[197] Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Lukashenko had not consulted him before raising the possibility of stopping gas deliveries coming from Russia to the EU via a pipeline through Belarus, adding that such a move would risk harming ties between Belarus and Russia.[198]

In February 2022, Lukashenko permitted Russian forces to stage part of the invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory.[199] Commenting on the war in Ukraine the President of Belarus has said that he didn't expect the conflict “drag on this way.” [200]

European Union

Further information: Belarus–European Union relations

Lukashenko's relationship with the EU has been strained, in part by choice and in part by his policies towards domestic opponents. Lukashenko's repression of opponents caused him to be called "Europe's last dictator" and resulted in the EU imposing visa sanctions on him and a range of Belarusian officials. At times, the EU has lifted sanctions as a way to encourage dialogue or gain concessions from Lukashenko.[201] Since the EU adopted this policy of "change through engagement", it has supported economic and political reforms to help integrate the Belarusian state.[202]

United States

Further information: Belarus–United States relations
 
With U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo in 2020

In March 2003, Lukashenko said that Belarus unanimously condemned the US-led Iraq War.[203]

On 29 August 2019, John Bolton, the National Security Advisor of the United States, was received by Lukashenko during his visit to Minsk, which was the first of its kind in 18 years.[204][205][206]

China

Further information: Belarus–China relations
 
With Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2023

Under Lukashenko, China and Belarus have maintained close ties, with him advocating an approach of "understanding China, learning from China, and approaching China."[207] In 2012, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo noted that Belarus has been rapidly developing under Lukashenko.[208] On 1 March 2023, Lukashenko met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, which produced a range of cooperation documents on industry, trade, agricultural, and other matters.[209]

Middle East

Following the 2014 Syrian presidential election, President Lukashenko congratulated President Bashar al-Assad. His cable "expressed keenness to strengthen and develop bilateral relations between Belarus and Syria in all fields for the benefit of the two peoples."[210]

Belarus condemned the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, and the foreign ministry stated that "The missile strikes and bombings on the territory of Libya go beyond Resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council and are in breach of its principal goal, ensuring safety of the civilian population. The Republic of Belarus calls on the states involved with the military operation to cease, with immediate effect, the military operations which lead to human casualties. The settlement of the conflict is an internal affair of Libya and should be carried out by the Libyan people alone without military intervention from outside."[211] They have not recognized the National Transitional Council.

Upon hearing the news regarding the death of Muammar Gaddafi, President Alexander Lukashenko said "Aggression has been committed, and the country's leadership, not only Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed. And how was it killed? Well, if they had shot him in a battle, it's one thing, but they humiliated and tormented him, they shot at him, they violated him when he was wounded, they twisted his neck and arms, and then they tortured him to death. It's worse than the Nazis once did." He also condemned the current situation of Libya and was critical regarding the future of the country.[212][213]

Others

His policies have been praised by some other world leaders. In response to a question about Belarus's domestic policies, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela said "We see here a model social state like the one we are beginning to create."[214] In 2015, Lukashenko sought to improve trade relations between Belarus and Latin America.[215]

In March 2022, Australia sanctioned Lukashenko for giving "strategic support to Russia and its military forces" in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[216] Also in 2022, he was blacklisted by New Zealand[217] and Japan[218] on the same grounds.

Public life

See also: 2020–2021 Belarusian protests

Controversial statements

Lukashenko has made several controversial statements during his presidency which have been regarded as anti-semitic, homophobic and misogynistic.

In 1995, Lukashenko made a remark in which he named Adolf Hitler as a role model for his presidential system in Belarus: "The history of Germany is a copy of the history of Belarus. Germany was raised from ruins thanks to firm authority and not everything connected with that well-known figure Hitler was bad. German order evolved over the centuries and attained its peak under Hitler. This corresponds with our understanding of a presidential republic and the role of a president in it."[219][220] Lukashenko refused to take the quote back, but stated that the consequences of Hitler's leadership style in foreign policy had been bad.[221]

In October 2007, Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments; addressing the "miserable state of the city of Babruysk" on a live broadcast on state radio, he stated: "This is a Jewish city, and the Jews are not concerned for the place they live in. They have turned Babruysk into a pigsty. Look at Israel—I was there and saw it myself ... I call on Jews who have money to come back to Babruysk."[222][223] Members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to the Belarusian ambassador to the US, Mikhail Khvostov, addressing Lukashenko's comments with a strong request to retract them,[224] and the comments also caused a negative reaction from Israel.[225]

Consequently, Pavel Yakubovich, editor of Belarus Today, was sent to Israel, and in a meeting with the Israel Foreign Ministry said that Lukashenko's comment was "a mistake that was said jokingly, and does not represent his positions regarding the Jewish people" and that he was "anything but anti-Semitic," and had been "insulted by the mere accusation."[226] The Belarusian Ambassador to Israel, Igor Leshchenya, stated that the president had a "kind attitude toward the Jewish people", and Sergei Rychenko, the press secretary at the Belarusian Embassy in Tel Aviv, said parts of Lukashenko's comments had been mistranslated.[227]

On 4 March 2012, two days after EU leaders (including openly gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle) had called for new measures to pressure Lukashenko over alleged human rights abuses in Belarus at a summit in Brussels, Lukashenko provoked diplomatic rebuke from Germany after commenting that it was "better to be a dictator than gay"[228] in response to Westerwelle having referred to him as "Europe's last dictator" during the meeting.[229][230]

After some of the initial candidates for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election were imprisoned, three women involved with the candidates, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emerged as leading opposition against him and contested the results of the election. Lukashenko has spoken dismissively about the role of women in Belarusian society, saying that "society is not mature enough to vote for a woman" and, referring specifically to Tsikanouskaya, that "she just cooked a tasty cutlet, maybe fed the children, and the cutlet smelled nice [...] And now there's supposed to be a debate about some issues" and that the burden of the presidency would cause her to "collapse, poor thing".[231][232]

In July 2021, Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments during his Independence Day speech to the armed forces; saying "the Jews managed to force the world to remember the Holocaust. The entire world grovels before them and gives in to them. They are afraid to say a single word out of place,". and adding "We are tolerant and likeable. We left things alone until it got to the point where others started attacking us and the memory of our efforts,". The Israeli government said the comments were "unacceptable" and summoned the chargé d'affaires at the Belarus embassy in Israel.[233][234][235][236]

Public opinion

Independent polling is tightly restricted in Belarus.[237] Surveys are monopolized by the government, which either does not publish its surveys or uses them for propagandistic purposes.[238]

 
Lukashenko's trademark moustache

According to a leaked internal poll, a third of the population had trust in Lukashenko.[237] The last credible public poll in Belarus was a 2016 poll showing approximately 30% approval for Lukashensko.[239]

Lukashenko is referred to as "Batska" (бацька, "father") by his supporters.[52]

During the 2020–21 Belarusian protests, opponents of Lukashenko began to refer to him as "Sasha 3%" on the basis that they believed that he was only supported by three percent of the Belarusian population.[240][241] The term has subsequently become a popular meme within the Belarusian opposition appearing on T-shirts and posters.[242] Lukashenko has also been referred to as "Tarakanishche" ("Cockroach") by his opponents in reference to the poem The Monster Cockroach, in which a moustached cockroach inflicts a reign of terror on the other animals before being eaten by a sparrow.[243]

Accusations of corruption

A film produced by NEXTA, an opposition group based in Poland, accuses Lukashenko of misappropriating EU funds on residences and automobiles. The film was uploaded to Telegram and YouTube, where it had over 6 million views. Lukashenko did not comment on the film directly, but on a factory visit in March 2021 claimed that opponents were creating a fake story to destabilize the country. Lukashenko states "I want you to understand: I have been working as president for a quarter of a century, and if there were already some billions, as they say, or palaces, I would have already been torn to pieces from all sides." EU officials also dismissed the accusations as "speculation".[244][245]

Personal life

Marriage and children

 
Lukashenko with his sons

Lukashenko married Galina Zhelnerovich, his high school sweetheart, in 1975. Later that year, his oldest son, Viktor, was born. Their second son, Dmitry, was born in 1980. Galina lives separately in a house in the village Shklow.[246] Though they are still legally married, Galina Lukashenko has been estranged from her husband since shortly after he became president.[247] In a 2014 interview, Lukashenko said that they had not lived together for 30 years and the only reason they had not divorced was that he did not want to traumatize his adult sons.[248] Lukashenko has been seen on public occasions with various women; when asked about this in the same 2014 interview he explained that he did not want to sit with an official with a "sour face", preferring "My son on one side, and a girl on the other".[248]

Lukashenko fathered a son, Nikolai, who was born in 2004. Though never confirmed by the government, it is widely believed that the child's mother is Irina Abelskaya—the two had an extramarital affair when she was Lukashenko's personal doctor.[249] There has never been any public statement about who Nikolai's mother is; Nikolai was raised solely by his father.[250] It has been reported by Western observers and media that Nikolai, nicknamed "Kolya", is being groomed as Lukashenko's successor.[251][252] According to Belarusian state media, these speculations were dismissed by Lukashenko, who also denied that he would remain in office for a further thirty years—the time Nikolai will become eligible to stand for election and succeed him.[253] Lukashenko has a pet dog, a spitz named Umka.[254]

Sports

 
Putin on friendly hockey match in Ice arena "Bolshoy", Sochi, in 2014. With him are Lukashenko, Viacheslav Fetisov and Valeri Kamensky.

Lukashenko used to play football, but stopped playing during his presidency.[255] His two elder sons also play ice hockey, sometimes alongside their father.[256] Lukashenko started training in cross-country running as a child, and in the 2000s still competed at the national level.[257] He is a keen skier and ice hockey forward.[258] In an interview he said that he plays ice hockey three times a week.[259] He has established the Belarus President's team, an amateur team which he sometimes plays for.[260] Numerous ice rinks intended to enable competitive ice hockey games to be played, have been built all over Belarus at Lukashenko's behest.[261] Lukashenko was instrumental in getting the 2014 IIHF World Championship in ice hockey to be hosted by Belarus which was considered controversial due to Lukashenko's repressive regime.[262] Belarus was supposed to host the 2021 IIHF World Championship in May 2021, but that was cancelled after international condemnation and threats by sponsors to withdraw.[263][264][265]

Religion and beliefs

Lukashenko describes himself as an "Orthodox atheist"[266] and has said that he believes that the president should be a conservative person and avoid using modern electronic technology such as a tablet or smartphone.[267] He used to play the bayan, a musical instrument similar to an accordion[255]

Orders and honors

 
Alexander Lukashenko wearing the uniform of the commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces in 2001
  • Medal "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" (1997)[268]
  • Order of Distinguished Citizen (Caracas, Venezuela, 2010)[284]
  • Order of Francisco Miranda, First Class (Venezuela, 2010)[285]
  • Order of Alexander Nevsky (Russia, August 30 2014)[290]
  • Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 1st Degree (2015) – for merits in protecting the spiritual values ​​of the Belarusian people, maintaining church life and establishing peaceful relations between people of different faiths.[291]
  • Order of the Republic (Moldova, October 4, 2016) – as a sign of deep gratitude for the special merits in the development and strengthening of friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation in various areas between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova and for the great personal contribution to providing significant support to our country in a difficult economic situation.[293][294]
  • Order of Heydar Aliyev (Azerbaijan, November 28, 2016) – for special merits in the development of friendly relations and cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Azerbaijan.[295][296]
  • Ig Nobel Prize (Peace in 2013, Medical Education in 2020)
  • Honorary Doctor of Science, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He was deprived of his status on June 7, 2021 due to the forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft in Belarus. He became the first honorary doctor of science in the history of the university, who was deprived of this title.[299]

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ affiliated non-member
  2. ^ Belarusian: Аляксанд(а)р Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка, romanized: Alyaksand(а)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka, IPA: [alʲækˈsand(ɐ)r rɨˈɣɔravʲit͡ʂ lukaˈʂɛnka]; Russian: Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, tr. Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko, IPA: [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪtɕ lʊkɐˈʂɛnkə]. In English, both transliterations are used, and his first name is often anglicized to Alexander.

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April 11, 2023
alexander, lukashenko, lukashenko, redirects, here, other, people, with, name, lukashenko, surname, this, name, that, follows, eastern, slavic, naming, conventions, patronymic, grigoryevich, family, name, lukashenko, alexander, grigoryevich, lukashenko, transl. Lukashenko redirects here For other people with the name see Lukashenko surname In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions the patronymic is Grigoryevich and the family name is Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko as transliterated from Russian also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand a r Ryhoravich Lukashenka b born 30 August 1954 is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the establishment of the office on 20 July 1994 making him the longest sitting European president 4 5 Alexander LukashenkoAleksandr LukashenkoAlyaksand a r LukashenkaAliaksandar LukashenkaLukashenko in 2022President of BelarusIncumbentAssumed office 20 July 1994 Disputed since 23 September 2020 1 Prime MinisterMikhail Chigir Sergey Ling Vladimir Yermoshin Gennady Novitsky Sergei Sidorsky Mikhail Myasnikovich Andrei Kobyakov Syarhey Rumas Roman GolovchenkoPreceded byMyechyslaw Hryb as head of state and Chairman of the Supreme Council Chairman of the Supreme State Councilof the Union StateIncumbentAssumed office 26 January 2000Chairman of the Council of MinistersVladimir Putin Mikhail Kasyanov Mikhail Fradkov Viktor Zubkov Dmitry Medvedev Mikhail MishustinGeneral SecretaryPavel Borodin Grigory Rapota Dmitry MezentsevPreceded byOffice establishedMember of the Supreme Council of BelarusIn office 25 August 1991 20 July 1994Preceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byOffice abolishedPersonal detailsBornAlexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko 1954 08 30 30 August 1954 age 68 Kopys Byelorussian SSR Soviet Union now Belarus Political partyIndependent 1992 present Other politicalaffiliationsCommunist Party of the Soviet Union 1979 1991 Communists for Democracy 1991 1992 Belaya Rus 2007 present a SpouseGalina Zhelnerovich m 1975 wbr ChildrenViktorDmitryNikolaiOccupationPoliticianProfessionEconomist and collective farmer 2 SignatureWebsitepresident wbr gov wbr by wbr en wbr Military serviceAllegiance Soviet Union BelarusBranch serviceSoviet Border Troops Belarusian Armed ForcesYears of service1975 1977 1980 1982 1994 presentRankCommander in ChiefLieutenant colonel 3 Before his political career Lukashenko worked as director of a state farm sovkhoz and served in the Soviet Border Troops and in the Soviet Army Lukashenko continued state ownership of key industries in Belarus after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and retained important Soviet era symbolism which can be seen in the coat of arms and national flag of Belarus adopted following a controversial 1995 referendum which were based on those of the Byelorussian SSR Following the same referendum Lukashenko was given more power with the ability to dismiss the Supreme Soviet of Belarus and another referendum in 1996 allowed Lukashenko to further consolidate power The Russian language was also given the same status as Belarusian and economic ties with Russia were strengthened which furthermore led to the creation of the Union State with Russia which allows Belarusians to freely travel to work and study in Russia and vice versa However relations with Russia have not always run smoothly under his tenure such as during the Milk War 6 Lukashenko heads an authoritarian government and has referred to himself as the last dictator in Europe 7 Elections are not considered to be free and fair by international monitors opponents of the regime are repressed and the media is not free 8 9 leading to sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials being imposed 10 His disputed victory in the country s 2020 presidential election led to widespread allegations of vote rigging which strongly amplified anti government protests the largest during his rule 5 Following the contested election Lukashenko is not recognized by the United Kingdom the European Union or the United States as the legitimate president of Belarus 11 12 Contents 1 Early life family and education 2 Military and early politics career 3 Presidency 3 1 First term 1994 2001 3 2 Second term 2001 2006 3 3 Third term 2006 2010 3 4 Fourth term 2010 2015 3 5 Fifth term 2015 2020 3 6 Sixth term 2020 present 3 7 Domestic policy 3 7 1 Economy 3 7 2 Coronavirus 3 8 Political repression 3 8 1 Torture sexual abuse and other forms of repression 3 8 2 Forced disappearances 3 8 3 Assassination plans on dissidents abroad 3 8 4 Allegations of state sponsored hijacking 3 9 Foreign policy 3 9 1 Russia 3 9 2 European Union 3 9 3 United States 3 9 4 China 3 9 5 Middle East 3 9 6 Others 4 Public life 4 1 Controversial statements 4 2 Public opinion 4 3 Accusations of corruption 5 Personal life 5 1 Marriage and children 5 2 Sports 5 3 Religion and beliefs 6 Orders and honors 7 Explanatory notes 8 References 9 External linksEarly life family and educationLukashenko was born on 30 August 1954 13 14 in the settlement of Kopys in the Vitebsk Oblast of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic Starting with an interview given in 2009 Lukashenko has said that his actual birthday is 31 August the same as his son s Nikolai s 15 This caused some confusion as all official sources had said 30 August 1954 up until then An explanation was later given that his mother had entered the hospital on the 30th in labor but not given birth until after midnight 16 His maternal grandfather Trokhym Ivanovich Lukashenko had been born in the Sumy Oblast of Ukraine near Shostka today village of Sobycheve 17 Lukashenko grew up without a father in his childhood leading him to be taunted by his schoolmates for having an unmarried mother 18 Due to this the origin of his patronymic Grigorevich is unknown and there are various rumors about who Lukashenko s father might have been with the most popular version being that he was a Roma passing through the region 19 His mother Ekaterina Trofimovna Lukashenko 1924 2015 gave birth to another son Alexander s older brother who died Ekaterina worked unskilled jobs on a railway at a construction site at a flax factory in Orsha and finally as a milkmaid in Alexandria a small village in the east of Belarus close to the Russian border 20 Lukashenko went to Alexandria secondary school He graduated from the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute now Mogilev State A Kuleshov University in 1975 after 4 years studying there and the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in Horki in 1985 Military and early politics careerHe served in the Soviet Border Troops from 1975 to 1977 where he was an instructor of the political department of military unit No 2187 of the Western Frontier District in Brest and in the Soviet Army from 1980 to 1982 In addition he led an All Union Leninist Young Communist League Komsomol chapter in Mogilev from 1977 to 1978 While in the Soviet Army Lukashenko was a deputy political officer of the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division which was based in Minsk 21 In 1979 he joined the ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Byelorussia After leaving the military he became the deputy chairman of a collective farm in 1982 and in 1985 he was promoted to the post of director of the Gorodets state farm and construction materials plant in the Shklow district 22 In 1987 he was appointed as the director of the Gorodets state farm in Shklow district and in early 1988 was one of the first in Mogilev Region to introduce a leasing contract to a state farm 23 In 1990 Lukashenko was elected Deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Having acquired a reputation as an eloquent opponent of corruption Lukashenko was elected in April 1993 to serve as the interim chairman of the anti corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament 24 In late 1993 he accused 70 senior government officials including the Supreme Soviet chairman Stanislav Shushkevich and prime minister Vyacheslav Kebich of corruption including stealing state funds for personal purposes While the charges ultimately proved to be without merit Shushkevich resigned his chairmanship due to the embarrassment of this series of events and losing a vote of no confidence 25 26 He served in that position until July 1994 PresidencyFirst term 1994 2001 See also 1994 Belarusian presidential election The 1995 hunger strike of deputies in the Supreme Council buildingA new Belarusian constitution enacted in early 1994 paved the way for the first democratic presidential election on 23 June and 10 July Six candidates stood in the first round including Lukashenko who campaigned as an independent on a populist platform In an interview with The New York Times he declared I am neither with the leftists nor the rightists But with the people against those who rob and deceive them 27 Stanislav Shushkevich and Vyacheslav Kebich also ran with the latter regarded as the clear favorite 28 Lukashenko won 45 1 of the vote while Kebich received 17 4 Zianon Pazniak received 12 9 and Shushkevich along with two other candidates received less than 10 of votes 28 Lukashenko won the second round of the election on 10 July with 80 1 of the vote 28 29 The presidential inauguration was held in the halls of the Government House on 20 July 1994 exactly ten days after the election during a special meeting of the parliament the Supreme Council 30 Shortly after his inauguration he addressed the State Duma of the Russian Federation in Moscow proposing a new Union of Slavic states which would culminate in the creation of the Union of Russia and Belarus in 1999 31 President Lukashenko on a postage stamp from 1996 In February 1995 Lukashenko announced his intention to hold a referendum For the young democratic republic this raised the controversial issue of the Russification of Belarus Lukashenko said he would press ahead with the referendum regardless of opposition in the Supreme Council and threatened to suspend its activities if it did not agree to hold the referendum On 11 April 1995 a vote was held in parliament on calling a referendum on four issues proposed by Lukashenko 1 granting Russian the status of a state language 2 changing state symbols 3 on economic integration with Russia and 4 on giving the president the right to dissolve parliament The deputies rejected all issues except for the issue of economic integration with Russia 32 33 It is unclear whether the president had legal power independently to call referendums and if so if they would be binding Lukashenko stated that the referendum would be held despite the rejection by the deputies In protest 19 out of a total of 238 deputies of the Belarusian Popular Front led by Zianon Pazniak and the Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly led by Oleg Trusov b Aleg Anatolevich Trusay began a hunger strike in the parliamentary meeting room and stayed there overnight on the night of 11 12 April At night under the pretext of a bomb threat unidentified law enforcement personnel attacked and forcibly expelled the deputies Lukashenko stated that he personally ordered the evacuation for security purposes The Supreme Council accepted to hold the referendum on 13 April and in May 1995 Belarusian authorities held a referendum on the four issues 34 The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly found neither the referendum nor the 1995 Belarusian parliamentary election which took place in the same month to have met conditions for free and fair elections 35 Results of the disputed 1995 referendumQuestion For Against Turnout ResultDo you agree with assigning the Russian language the status equal to that of the Belarusian language 86 8 13 2 64 8 YesDo you support the actions of the President aimed at economic integration with Russia 87 0 13 0 YesDo you support the suggestion about the introduction of the new State flag and State Coat of Arms of the Republic of Belarus 78 6 21 4 YesDo you agree with the necessity of the introduction of changes into the acting Constitution of the Republic of Belarus which provide for early termination of the plenary powers of the Supreme Council by President of the Republic of Belarus in the case of systematical or gross violations of the Constitution 81 4 18 6 YesSource Nohlen amp Stover 36 Official ceremony of signing Treaty on Establishing Russian Belarusian Union at the Kremlin Palace between the Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Lukashenko 1997 In the summer of 1996 deputies of the 199 member Belarusian parliament signed a petition to impeach Lukashenko on charges of violating the Constitution 37 Shortly after that a referendum was held on 24 November 1996 in which four questions were offered by Lukashenko and three offered by a group of Parliament members The questions ranged from social issues changing the independence day to 3 July the date of the liberation of Minsk from Nazi forces in 1944 abolition of the death penalty to the national constitution As a result of the referendum the constitution that was amended by Lukashenko was accepted and the one amended by the Supreme Council was voided On 25 November it was announced that 70 5 of voters of an 84 turnout had approved the amended constitution The US and the EU however refused to accept the legitimacy of the referendum 38 After the referendum Lukashenko convened a new parliamentary assembly from those members of the parliament who were loyal to him 39 After between ten and twelve deputies withdrew their signature from the impeachment petition only about forty deputies of the old parliament were left and the Supreme Council was dismissed by Lukashenko 40 Nevertheless international organizations and many Western countries do not recognize the current parliament given the way it was formed 41 42 Lukashenko was elected chairman of the Belarusian Olympic Committee in 1997 43 At the start of 1998 the Central Bank of Russia suspended trading in the Belarusian ruble which led to a collapse in the value of the currency Lukashenko responded by taking control of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus sacking the entire bank leadership and blaming the West for the free fall of the currency 44 Alexander Lukashenko standing with Vladimir Putin and Leonid Kuchma at the Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2001 Lukashenko blamed foreign governments for conspiring against him and in April 1998 expelled ambassadors from the Drazdy complex near Minsk and moved them to another building The Drazdy conflict caused an international outcry and resulted in a travel ban on Lukashenko from the EU and the US 45 Although the ambassadors eventually returned after the controversy died down Lukashenko stepped up his rhetorical attacks against the West He stated that Western governments were trying to undermine Belarus at all levels even sports during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano Japan 46 Upon the outbreak of the Kosovo War in 1999 Lukashenko suggested to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic that Yugoslavia join the Union of Russia and Belarus 47 Second term 2001 2006 See also 2001 Belarusian presidential election Under the original constitution Lukashenko should have been up for reelection in 1999 However the 1996 referendum extended Lukashenko s term for two additional years In the 9 September 2001 election Lukashenko faced Vladimir Goncharik and Sergei Gaidukevich 48 During the campaign Lukashenko promised to raise the standards of farming social benefits and increase industrial output of Belarus 49 Lukashenko won in the first round with 75 65 of the vote The Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe OSCE said the process failed to meet international standards 49 Meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2006 Jane s Intelligence Digest surmised that the price of Russian support for Lukashenko ahead of the 2001 presidential election was the surrender of Minsk s control over its section of the Yamal Europe gas pipeline 50 After the results were announced declaring Lukashenko the winner Russia publicly welcomed Lukashenko s re election the Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Lukashenko and offered a message of congratulations and support 49 Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq American intelligence agencies reported that aides of Saddam Hussein managed to acquire Belarusian passports while in Syria but that it was unlikely that Belarus would offer a safe haven for Saddam and his two sons 51 This action along with arms deals with Iraq and Iran prompted Western governments to take a tougher stance against Lukashenko The US was particularly angered by the arms sales and American political leaders increasingly began to refer to Belarus as Europe s last dictatorship 52 The EU was concerned for the security of its gas supplies from Russia which are piped through Belarus and took an active interest in Belarusian affairs With the accession of Poland Latvia and Lithuania the EU s border with Belarus has grown to more than 1000 kilometers 53 During a televised address to the nation on 7 September 2004 Lukashenko announced plans for a referendum to eliminate presidential term limits This was held on 17 October 2004 the same day as parliamentary elections and according to official results was approved by 79 42 of voters Previously Lukashenko had been limited to two terms and thus would have been constitutionally required to step down after the presidential elections in 2006 18 54 Opposition groups the OSCE the European Union and the US State Department stated that the vote fell short of international standards Belarus grew economically under Lukashenko but much of this growth was due to Russian crude oil which was imported at below market prices refined and sold to other European countries at a profit 18 Third term 2006 2010 Main article 2006 Belarusian presidential election Lukashenko with Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin December 2008 After Lukashenko confirmed he was running for re election in 2005 opposition groups began to seek a single candidate On 16 October 2005 on the Day of Solidarity with Belarus the political groups Zubr and Third Way Belarus encouraged all opposition parties to rally behind one candidate to oppose Lukashenko in the 2006 election Their chosen candidate was Alexander Milinkevich 55 Lukashenko reacted by saying that anyone going to opposition protests would have their necks wrung as one might a duck 18 On 19 March 2006 exit polls showed Lukashenko winning a third term in a landslide amid opposition reports of vote rigging and fear of violence The Belarusian Republican Youth Union gave Lukashenko 84 2 and Milinkevich 3 1 The Gallup Organisation noted that the Belarusian Republican Youth Union are government controlled and released the exit poll results before noon on election day even though voting stations did not close until 8 pm 56 Belarusian authorities vowed to prevent any large scale demonstrations following the election such as those that marked the Orange Revolution in Ukraine Despite their efforts the opposition had the largest number of demonstrators in years with nightly protests in Minsk continuing for a number of days after the election The largest protest occurred on election night reporters for the Associated Press estimated that approximately 10 000 people turned out 57 Election observers from the Russia led Commonwealth of Independent States CIS and the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe OSCE differed on the Belarusian election 58 Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko observed the final phase of the Zapad 2009 strategic exercises that took place in Baranavichy Belarus The OSCE declared on 20 March 2006 that the presidential election failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections Lukashenko permitted State authority to be used in a manner which did not allow citizens to freely and fairly express their will at the ballot box a pattern of intimidation and the suppression of independent voices was evident throughout the campaign 59 The heads of all 25 EU countries declared that the election was fundamentally flawed 60 In contrast the Russian minister of foreign affairs declared Long before the elections the OSCE s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights had declared that they the elections would be illegitimate and it was pretty biased in its commentaries on their progress and results thus playing an instigating role 60 Lukashenko later stated that he had rigged the election results but against himself in order to obtain a majority more typical of European countries Although he had won 93 5 of the vote he said he had directed the government to announce a result of 86 61 62 Some Russian nationalists such as Dmitry Rogozin and the Movement Against Illegal Immigration stated that they would like to see Lukashenko become President of Russia in 2008 Lukashenko responded that he would not run for the Russian presidency but that if his health was still good he might run for reelection in 2011 63 In September 2008 parliamentary elections were held Lukashenko had allowed some opposition candidates to stand though in the official results opposition members failed to get any of the 110 available seats OSCE observers described the vote as flawed including several cases of deliberate falsification of results 64 Opposition members and supporters demonstrated in protest 64 According to the Nizhny Novgorod based CIS election observation mission the findings of which are often dismissed by the West 65 the elections in Belarus conformed to international standards 66 Lukashenko later commented that the opposition in Belarus was financed by foreign countries and was not needed 67 In April 2009 he held talks with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican Lukashenko s first visit to Western Europe after a travel ban on him a decade earlier 68 Fourth term 2010 2015 Main article 2010 Belarusian presidential election Lukashenko and Putin at the Russian Belarusian strategic military exercises in 2013 Lukashenko was one of ten candidates registered for the presidential election held in Belarus on 19 December 2010 Though originally envisaged for 2011 an earlier date was approved to ensure the maximum participation of citizens in the electoral campaign and to set most convenient time for the voters 69 The run up to the campaign was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko 70 The Central Election Committee said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total that Lukashenko would get 71 Though opposition figures alleged intimidation 72 and that dirty tricks were being played the election was seen as comparatively open as a result of desire to improve relations with both Europe and the US 71 On election day two presidential candidates were seriously beaten by police 73 in different opposition rallies 74 75 76 On the night of the election opposition protesters chanting Out Long live Belarus and other similar slogans attempted to storm the building of the government of Belarus smashing windows and doors before riot police were able to push them back 77 The number of protesters was reported by major news media as being around or above 10 000 people 78 79 80 81 At least seven of the opposition presidential candidates were arrested 73 Several of the opposition candidates along with their supporters and members of the media were arrested Many were sent to prison often on charges of organizing a mass disturbance Examples include Andrei Sannikov 82 Alexander Otroschenkov 83 Ales Michalevic 84 Mikola Statkevich 85 and Uladzimir Nyaklyayew 86 Sannikov s wife journalist Irina Khalip was put under house arrest 87 Yaraslau Ramanchuk s party leader Anatoly Lebedko was also arrested 88 Lukashenko giving a speech in 2014 The CEC said that Lukashenko won 79 65 of the vote he gained 5 130 557 votes with 90 65 of the electorate voting 89 The OSCE categorized the elections as flawed while the CIS mission observers praised them as free and transparent citation needed However the OSCE also stated that some improvements were made in the run up to the election including the candidates use of television debates and ability to deliver their messages unhindered 90 Several European foreign ministers issued a joint statement calling the election and its aftermath an unfortunate step backwards in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights in Belarus 91 Lukashenko s inauguration ceremony of 22 January 2011 was boycotted by EU ambassadors and only thirty two foreign diplomats attended 92 During this ceremony Lukashenko defended the legitimacy of his re election and vowed that Belarus would never have its own version of the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine or Georgia s 2003 Rose Revolution 92 Effective 31 January 2011 the EU renewed a travel ban prohibiting Lukashenko and 156 of his associates from traveling to EU member countries as a result of the crackdown on opposition supporters 93 94 95 Lukashenko was supportive of China s Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure development strategy and the inception in 2012 of the associated low tax China Belarus Industrial Park near Minsk National Airport planned to grow to 112 square kilometres 43 sq mi by the 2060s 96 97 Fifth term 2015 2020 Main article 2015 Belarusian presidential election See also Fifth inauguration of Alexander Lukashenko Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in 2016 Meeting of CIS leaders in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan September 2016 On 11 October 2015 Lukashenko was elected for his fifth term as the president of Belarus Just over three weeks later he was inaugurated in the Independence Palace in the presence of attendees such as former president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma Chairman of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov and Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva 98 On mid September 2017 Lukashenko oversaw the advancement of joint Russian and Belarusian military relations during the military drills that were part of the Zapad 2017 exercise 99 100 In August 2018 Lukashenko fired his prime minister Andrei Kobyakov and various other officials due to a corruption scandal 101 Sergei Rumas was appointed to take his place as prime minister 101 In May 2017 Lukashenko signed a decree on the Foundation of the Directorate of the 2019 European Games in Minsk 102 In April 2019 Lukashenko announced that the games were on budget and on time and eventually he opened the 2nd edition of the event on 21 June 103 104 Between 1 3 July 2019 he oversaw the country s celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Minsk Offensive which culminated in an evening military parade of the Armed Forces of Belarus on the last day which is the country s Independence Day 105 Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands with Lukashenko in Zhytomyr October 2019In August 2019 Lukashenko met with former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev who has lived in exile in Minsk since 2010 in the Palace of Independence to mark Bakiyev s 70th birthday which he had marked several days earlier 106 The meeting which included the presentation of traditional flowers and symbolic gifts angered the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry which stated that the meeting fundamentally does not meet the principles of friendship and cooperation between the two countries 107 108 109 110 In November 2019 Lukashenko visited the Austrian capital of Vienna on a state visit which was his first in three years to an EU country During the visit he met with President Alexander Van der Bellen Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka He also paid his respects at the Soviet War Memorial at the Schwarzenbergplatz 111 112 113 During the course of the COVID 19 pandemic he undertook two working visits to Russia one of the few European leaders to undertake foreign visits during the pandemic He also received Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban during his state visit to Minsk 114 Orban called for an end to EU sanctions on Belarus during this visit 115 His first visit to Russia was to attend the rescheduled Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square together with his son 116 Sixth term 2020 present Main articles 2020 Belarusian presidential election and 2020 2021 Belarusian protests On 9 August 2020 according to the preliminary count Lukashenko was re elected for his sixth term as the President of Belarus 117 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the election was not free or fair 118 Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election which was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud 119 120 Subsequently opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya claimed she had received between 60 and 70 of the vote 121 122 and formed a Coordination council to facilitate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power in Belarus 123 124 source source source source source source source source source source source source Lukashenko with a gun arrived by helicopter in the Palace of Independence On 15 August 2020 Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius referred to Lukashenko as the former president of Belarus 125 It was reported that President Lukashenko s authorities asked Kremlin representatives about the possibility of Lukashenko escaping to Russia Furthermore it was reported that Russia admits that Lukashenko s resignation from the post of head of state is likely 126 127 On 17 August 2020 the members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement which stated that they do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus considering him to be persona non grata in the European Union 128 On 19 August the member states of the European Union agreed to not recognise the results and issued a statement saying The 9 August elections were neither free nor fair therefore we do not recognise the results 129 The governments of the United States 12 United Kingdom and Canada have also refused to recognise the results In an interview on 22 August Josep Borrell explicitly stated that the European Union does not recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus in the same manner that it does not recognise Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela 130 On 23 August 2020 footage emerged showing Lukashenko at the Independence Palace in Minsk In the first two videos he is seen walking near a helicopter wearing a bullet proof vest and holding an assault rifle possibly an AK 47 131 and then walking around the palace grounds In the latter footage Lukashenko was heard to say Leave me alone and There is no one left there right His 15 year old son Nikolai was seen with him dressed in military uniform and holding a gun 132 133 In a third video he is seen surveying protestors from a helicopter and is heard saying How the rats ran away in an apparent reference to the protesters In a fourth video Lukashenko was seen removing the former flag of Belarus from a flower bed waving at security personnel and in reference to protesters saying we will deal with them 134 On 30 August the Independence Palace became again a scene of protests When questioned about the whereabouts of Alexander Lukashenko on this day his publicity team released an undated photograph of him walking around the grounds of the Independence Palace holding a gun 135 Lukashenko and Putin in February 2021 On 23 September 2020 Lukashenko was formally inaugurated president for a sixth term in a ceremony at the Palace of Independence attended by an invited group of 700 guests 136 On 27 November 2020 Lukashenko announced that he would resign once Belarus new constitution was adopted 137 In December the executive board of the International Olympic Committee IOC decided to exclude until further notice all members of the Belarusian Olympic Committee from all IOC events specifically targeting Lukashenko who was elected as its chairman in 1997 138 On 17 April 2021 Russia s FSB security service exposed an alleged military coup and assassination attempt of Lukashenko 139 Russia also stated that it prevented Lukashenko s murder 139 Two suspects who were detained at Lukashenko s request were Alexander Feduta ru be and Yuri Zenkovich ru be 139 Both are critics of Lukashenko with the latter being a dual American Belarusian citizen despite Belarus not recognizing dual citizenship 139 On 24 April 2021 Lukashenko announced that he would sign a decree to amend emergency transfer of power I will sign a decree about how the power in Belarus will be set up If the President is shot the security council will get the power Lukashenko is the head of the Security Council himself however his eldest son Victor Lukashenko is regarded as its informal leader Under current law the prime minister assumes the presidential powers if the presidency becomes vacant but Lukashenko said that the prime minister will only become the nominal leader and all decisions would be taken by the 20 person security council by secret ballot The president is yet to sign the decree and it would also be unconstitutional as Article 89 states how emergency transition of power is set up This move was seen to empower his son to be in the perfect position to succeed him in the next elections to also prevent the opposition gaining power and as insurance against a bad prime minister It is to note that all Security Council members are Lukashenko s most loyal allies citation needed On 5 May 2021 Belarusians in Germany filed a legal complaint against Lukashenko for state torture and crimes against humanity If he enters Germany he risks trial or if convicted and enters Germany faces punishment given by court 140 Lukashenko responded that Germany was not in a position to criticize him referring to the German Government as the Heirs of Fascism At the same time he said that he will not resign a reversal from his statement in November but said he will call early presidential elections if and only if the United States does so as well Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in Baku Azerbaijan April 2021 On 9 May 2021 Lukashenko signed a presidential decree titled On the Protection of sovereignty and constitutional order The contingency decree states that in the event that the President is unable to perform his duties martial law will be immediately imposed and presidential power will be transferred to the Security Council which is widely believed to be made up of strong allies of Lukashenko It also states that it is the responsibility of the Security Council to organise new presidential elections Despite clearly contradicting Article 89 of the constitution Belarusian authorities praised the decree and declared it fully complies with legislation and is constitutional A deputy from the House of Representatives told state media 1 Belarus The decree is very necessary and timely It fully complies with the legislation and is aimed at strengthening the sovereignty independence and security of our citizens Why It s no secret that a hybrid war is now actually waged against Belarus Moreover we are at a point where an armed coup d etat was made So when someone says how is it possible But look at post Soviet countries look at the Middle East look at events all over the world Presidents are assassinated and countries taken over Yugoslavia was bombed in the centre of Europe look at what happened in Ukraine Kyrgyzstan Armenia Georgia All these so called revolutions are illegal coup d etat behind which there is always Western Money and work of Western money and the work of special services Naturally we must strengthen our national security and remove these risks This is exactly what the decree aims at It aims at making sure that only Belarusians should decide the future of the country Domestic policy See also Politics of Belarus and Human rights in Belarus Lukashenko promotes himself as a man of the people Lukashenko wanted to rebuild Belarus when he took office 141 the economy was in freefall due to declining industry and lack of demand for Belarusian goods 142 Lukashenko kept many industries under the control of the government 143 In 2001 he stated his intention to improve the social welfare of his citizens and to make Belarus powerful and prosperous 144 With the ascent to power of Lukashenko in 1994 the Russification policy of Russian Imperial and Soviet era was renewed 145 146 147 148 Since the November 1996 referendum Lukashenko has effectively held all governing power in the nation Under the Constitution if the House of Representatives rejects his choice for prime minister twice he has the right to dissolve it His decrees have greater weight than ordinary legislation He also has near absolute control over government spending parliament can only increase or decrease spending with his permission 40 However the legislature is dominated by his supporters in any event and there is no substantive opposition to presidential decisions Indeed every seat in the lower house has been held by pro Lukashenko MPs for all but one term since 2004 He also appoints eight members of the upper house the Council of the Republic as well as nearly all judges Economy See also Economy of Belarus Lukashenko s early economic policies aimed to prevent issues that occurred in other post Soviet states such as the establishment of oligarchic structures and mass unemployment 149 The unemployment rate for the country at the end of 2011 was at 0 6 of the population of 6 86 million eligible workers a decrease from 1995 when unemployment was 2 9 with a working eligible population of 5 24 million 150 The per capita gross national income rose from US 1 423 in 1993 to US 5 830 at the end of 2011 151 One major economic issue Lukashenko faced throughout his presidency was the value of the Belarusian ruble For a time it was pegged to major foreign currencies such as the euro US dollar and the Russian ruble in order to maintain the stability of the Belarusian ruble 152 Yet the currency has experienced several periods of devaluation A major devaluation took place in 2011 after the government announced that average salaries would increase to US 500 further explanation needed citation needed The 2011 devaluation was the largest on record for the past twenty years according to the World Bank 153 Belarus also had to seek a bailout from international sources and although it has received loans from China loans from the IMF and other agencies depend on how Belarus reforms its economy 154 155 Some critics of Lukashenko including the opposition group Zubr use the term Lukashism to refer to the political and economic system Lukashenko has implemented in Belarus 156 The term is also used more broadly to refer to an authoritarian ideology based on a cult of his personality and nostalgia for Soviet times among certain groups in Belarus 157 158 The US Congress sought to aid the opposition groups by passing the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko s government and provide financial and other support to the opposition 159 Lukashenko supporters argue that his rule spared Belarus the turmoil that beset many other former Soviet countries 160 161 Lukashenko commented on the criticism of him by saying I ve been hearing these accusations for over 10 years and we have got used to it We are not going to answer them I want to come from the premise that the elections in Belarus are held for ourselves I am sure that it is the Belarusian people who are the masters in our state 162 Coronavirus Main article COVID 19 pandemic in Belarus source source source source source source source source source source source source source source Lukashenko visited the Lida Central District Hospital in 2021 during his working trip to the Grodno region During the COVID 19 pandemic Lukashenko stated that concerns about the pandemic were a frenzy and a psychosis and that working the tractors drinking vodka and going to saunas could prevent people from infection from the virus People are working in tractors No one is talking about the virus Lukashenko said on 16 March 2020 There the tractor will heal everyone The fields heal everyone He also said I don t drink but recently I ve been saying that people should not only wash their hands with vodka but also poison the virus with it You should drink the equivalent of 40 50 milliliters of rectified spirit daily but he advised against doing so while at work Lukashenko described these comments as a joke 163 164 165 By early May Belarus was reported to have 15 000 diagnosed cases one of the highest per capita rates of infection in Eastern Europe 166 On July 28 2020 Lukashenko announced he had asymptomatic COVID 19 167 Neither the Presidential Administration nor the country s health service have commented on this statement 168 169 On August 12 2021 Lukashenko stated that he is strongly opposed to making vaccination mandatory There will be no mandatory vaccination in Belarus I am strongly against it Vaccination will remain voluntary If a person wants to be vaccinated it is good if not let it be 170 Political repression Torture sexual abuse and other forms of repression See also Human rights issues related to the suppression of the 2020 Belarusian protests and List of deaths related to the 2020 Belarusian protests On September 1 2020 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR declared that its experts received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill treatment of people who were arrested during the protests following the presidential election The experts also received reports of violence against women and children including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons 171 According to the OHCHR both male and female detainees were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual and gender based violence Medical records reviewed by OHCHR indicate lesions and other injuries to the male genitalia associated with forcible twisting and rape Psychological violence including threats of rape was also used against detainees 172 At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestino prison in Minsk or on the way there The victims were hospitalized with intramuscular bleeding of the rectum anal fissure and bleeding and damage to the mucous membrane of the rectum 173 In an interview from September 2020 Lukashenko claimed that detainees faked their bruises saying Some of the girls there had their butts painted in blue 174 In November 2021 however Lukashenko confirmed in an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation that people were beaten in Okrestino saying OK OK I admit it I admit it People were beaten in the Okrestina Detention Centre But there were police beaten up too and you didn t show this 175 In January 2021 an audio recording was released in which the commander of internal troops and deputy interior minister of Belarus Mikalai Karpiankou tells security forces that they can cripple maim and kill protesters in order to make them understand their actions This he says is justified because anyone who takes to the streets is participating in a kind of guerrilla warfare In addition he discussed the establishment of camps surrounded by barbed wire where protesters will be detained until the situation calms down A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry stamped the audio file as a fake 176 177 However a phonoscopic examination of the audio recording confirmed that the voice on the recording belongs to Karpiankou 178 The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed its concern about the remarks 179 According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty such a camp was indeed used near the town of Slutsk in the days from 13 to 15 August 2020 Many of those detained there are said to have been brought from the Okrestina prison in Minsk 180 Forced disappearances A demonstration in Warsaw in 2004 raising awareness about the disappearances of opposition activists in Belarus In 1999 opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar together with his business associate Anatol Krasouski disappeared Hanchar and Krasouski disappeared the same day of a broadcast on state television in which President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the chiefs of his security services to crack down on opposition scum Although the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus KGB had them under constant surveillance the official investigation announced that the case could not be solved The investigation of the disappearance of journalist Dzmitry Zavadski in 2000 has also yielded no results Copies of a report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which linked senior Belarusian officials to the cases of disappearances were confiscated 181 In September 2004 the European Union and the United States issued travel bans for five Belarusian officials suspected in being involved in the kidnapping of Zacharanka Interior Affairs Minister Vladimir Naumov Prosecutor General Viktor Sheiman Minister for Sports and Tourism Yuri Sivakov and Colonel Dmitri Pavlichenko from the Belarus Interior Ministry 182 In December 2019 Deutsche Welle published a documentary film in which Yury Garavski a former member of a special unit of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that it was his unit which had arrested taken away and murdered Zecharanka and that they later did the same with Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krassouski 183 Assassination plans on dissidents abroad On January 4 2021 the EU Observer reported that new evidence including documents and audio recordings provide that Belarusian secret services planned to murder dissidents abroad 184 An audio file allegedly being a recording from a bugged meeting in 2012 reveals Vadim Zaitsev the KGB chairman at the time discussing the murder plot with two officers from the KGB s Alpha Group an elite counter terrorism unit Translated from Russian one of the voices in the recording says We should be working with Sheremet who is a massive pain in the arse inaudible We ll plant a bomb and so on and this fucking rat will be taken down in fucking pieces legs in one direction arms in the other direction If everything looks like natural causes it won t get into people s minds the same way 184 In addition to planting a bomb they also discuss poisoning Sheremet Allegations of state sponsored hijacking On 23 May 2021 Lukashenko personally ordered Ryanair Flight 4978 en route from Athens to Vilnius carrying the opposition journalist Roman Protasevich to land in Belarus 185 The flight was forced to land at Minsk International Airport shortly before it reached the Lithuanian border after Belarusian air traffic control conveyed a report of explosives on board the plane The flight was escorted by a Belarusian Air Force MiG 29 fighter jet Belarusian authorities said no explosives were found and arrested Protasevich who was placed in a list of individuals involved in terrorist activity the previous year for his role in the anti government protests and incitement to Public disorder The move was condemned by opposition figures with Tsikhanouskaya saying that Protasevich faces the death penalty in Belarus 186 187 188 Foreign policy Further information Foreign relations of Belarus Russia Further information Belarus Russia relations With Russian president Vladimir Putin during a news conference in 2002 Lukashenko s relationship with Russia once his powerful ally and vocal supporter has significantly deteriorated The run up to the 2010 Belarusian presidential election was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko 70 Throughout July state controlled channel NTV broadcast a multi part documentary entitled The Godfather highlighting the suspicious disappearance of the opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar businessman Anatol Krasouski and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski during the late 1990s 189 Lukashenko called the media attack dirty propaganda 190 Lukashenko with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin in 2020 Despite a historically good relationship with Russia tensions between Lukashenko and the Russian government started showing in 2020 191 192 On 24 January 2020 Lukashenko publicly accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of trying to make Belarus a part of Russia 191 This led to Russia cutting economic subsidies for Belarus 193 In July 2020 the relationship between Belarus and Russia was described as strained after 33 Russian military contractors were arrested in Minsk 192 Lukashenko afterwards accused Russia of collaborating with opposition activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski and trying to cover up an attempt to send 200 fighters from a private Russian military firm known as the Wagner Group into Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country ahead of its 9 August presidential election 194 195 On 5 August 2020 Russia s security chief Dmitry Medvedev warned Belarus to release the contractors 193 Lukashenko also claimed Russia was lying about its attempts to use the Wagner Group to influence the upcoming election 196 On 11 November 2021 Lukashenko raised the possibility of interrupting the Yamal Europe pipeline carrying Russian gas to the European Union if the bloc imposes further sanctions on Belarus 197 Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Lukashenko had not consulted him before raising the possibility of stopping gas deliveries coming from Russia to the EU via a pipeline through Belarus adding that such a move would risk harming ties between Belarus and Russia 198 In February 2022 Lukashenko permitted Russian forces to stage part of the invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory 199 Commenting on the war in Ukraine the President of Belarus has said that he didn t expect the conflict drag on this way 200 European Union Further information Belarus European Union relations Lukashenko s relationship with the EU has been strained in part by choice and in part by his policies towards domestic opponents Lukashenko s repression of opponents caused him to be called Europe s last dictator and resulted in the EU imposing visa sanctions on him and a range of Belarusian officials At times the EU has lifted sanctions as a way to encourage dialogue or gain concessions from Lukashenko 201 Since the EU adopted this policy of change through engagement it has supported economic and political reforms to help integrate the Belarusian state 202 United States Further information Belarus United States relations With U S secretary of state Mike Pompeo in 2020 In March 2003 Lukashenko said that Belarus unanimously condemned the US led Iraq War 203 On 29 August 2019 John Bolton the National Security Advisor of the United States was received by Lukashenko during his visit to Minsk which was the first of its kind in 18 years 204 205 206 China Further information Belarus China relations With Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2023 Under Lukashenko China and Belarus have maintained close ties with him advocating an approach of understanding China learning from China and approaching China 207 In 2012 the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People s Congress Wu Bangguo noted that Belarus has been rapidly developing under Lukashenko 208 On 1 March 2023 Lukashenko met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing which produced a range of cooperation documents on industry trade agricultural and other matters 209 Middle East Following the 2014 Syrian presidential election President Lukashenko congratulated President Bashar al Assad His cable expressed keenness to strengthen and develop bilateral relations between Belarus and Syria in all fields for the benefit of the two peoples 210 Belarus condemned the NATO led military intervention in Libya and the foreign ministry stated that The missile strikes and bombings on the territory of Libya go beyond Resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council and are in breach of its principal goal ensuring safety of the civilian population The Republic of Belarus calls on the states involved with the military operation to cease with immediate effect the military operations which lead to human casualties The settlement of the conflict is an internal affair of Libya and should be carried out by the Libyan people alone without military intervention from outside 211 They have not recognized the National Transitional Council Upon hearing the news regarding the death of Muammar Gaddafi President Alexander Lukashenko said Aggression has been committed and the country s leadership not only Muammar Gaddafi has been killed And how was it killed Well if they had shot him in a battle it s one thing but they humiliated and tormented him they shot at him they violated him when he was wounded they twisted his neck and arms and then they tortured him to death It s worse than the Nazis once did He also condemned the current situation of Libya and was critical regarding the future of the country 212 213 Others His policies have been praised by some other world leaders In response to a question about Belarus s domestic policies President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said We see here a model social state like the one we are beginning to create 214 In 2015 Lukashenko sought to improve trade relations between Belarus and Latin America 215 In March 2022 Australia sanctioned Lukashenko for giving strategic support to Russia and its military forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 216 Also in 2022 he was blacklisted by New Zealand 217 and Japan 218 on the same grounds Public lifeSee also 2020 2021 Belarusian protests Controversial statements Lukashenko has made several controversial statements during his presidency which have been regarded as anti semitic homophobic and misogynistic In 1995 Lukashenko made a remark in which he named Adolf Hitler as a role model for his presidential system in Belarus The history of Germany is a copy of the history of Belarus Germany was raised from ruins thanks to firm authority and not everything connected with that well known figure Hitler was bad German order evolved over the centuries and attained its peak under Hitler This corresponds with our understanding of a presidential republic and the role of a president in it 219 220 Lukashenko refused to take the quote back but stated that the consequences of Hitler s leadership style in foreign policy had been bad 221 In October 2007 Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments addressing the miserable state of the city of Babruysk on a live broadcast on state radio he stated This is a Jewish city and the Jews are not concerned for the place they live in They have turned Babruysk into a pigsty Look at Israel I was there and saw it myself I call on Jews who have money to come back to Babruysk 222 223 Members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to the Belarusian ambassador to the US Mikhail Khvostov addressing Lukashenko s comments with a strong request to retract them 224 and the comments also caused a negative reaction from Israel 225 Consequently Pavel Yakubovich editor of Belarus Today was sent to Israel and in a meeting with the Israel Foreign Ministry said that Lukashenko s comment was a mistake that was said jokingly and does not represent his positions regarding the Jewish people and that he was anything but anti Semitic and had been insulted by the mere accusation 226 The Belarusian Ambassador to Israel Igor Leshchenya stated that the president had a kind attitude toward the Jewish people and Sergei Rychenko the press secretary at the Belarusian Embassy in Tel Aviv said parts of Lukashenko s comments had been mistranslated 227 On 4 March 2012 two days after EU leaders including openly gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had called for new measures to pressure Lukashenko over alleged human rights abuses in Belarus at a summit in Brussels Lukashenko provoked diplomatic rebuke from Germany after commenting that it was better to be a dictator than gay 228 in response to Westerwelle having referred to him as Europe s last dictator during the meeting 229 230 After some of the initial candidates for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election were imprisoned three women involved with the candidates led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emerged as leading opposition against him and contested the results of the election Lukashenko has spoken dismissively about the role of women in Belarusian society saying that society is not mature enough to vote for a woman and referring specifically to Tsikanouskaya that she just cooked a tasty cutlet maybe fed the children and the cutlet smelled nice And now there s supposed to be a debate about some issues and that the burden of the presidency would cause her to collapse poor thing 231 232 In July 2021 Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments during his Independence Day speech to the armed forces saying the Jews managed to force the world to remember the Holocaust The entire world grovels before them and gives in to them They are afraid to say a single word out of place and adding We are tolerant and likeable We left things alone until it got to the point where others started attacking us and the memory of our efforts The Israeli government said the comments were unacceptable and summoned the charge d affaires at the Belarus embassy in Israel 233 234 235 236 Public opinion Independent polling is tightly restricted in Belarus 237 Surveys are monopolized by the government which either does not publish its surveys or uses them for propagandistic purposes 238 Lukashenko s trademark moustache According to a leaked internal poll a third of the population had trust in Lukashenko 237 The last credible public poll in Belarus was a 2016 poll showing approximately 30 approval for Lukashensko 239 Lukashenko is referred to as Batska backa father by his supporters 52 During the 2020 21 Belarusian protests opponents of Lukashenko began to refer to him as Sasha 3 on the basis that they believed that he was only supported by three percent of the Belarusian population 240 241 The term has subsequently become a popular meme within the Belarusian opposition appearing on T shirts and posters 242 Lukashenko has also been referred to as Tarakanishche Cockroach by his opponents in reference to the poem The Monster Cockroach in which a moustached cockroach inflicts a reign of terror on the other animals before being eaten by a sparrow 243 Accusations of corruption A film produced by NEXTA an opposition group based in Poland accuses Lukashenko of misappropriating EU funds on residences and automobiles The film was uploaded to Telegram and YouTube where it had over 6 million views Lukashenko did not comment on the film directly but on a factory visit in March 2021 claimed that opponents were creating a fake story to destabilize the country Lukashenko states I want you to understand I have been working as president for a quarter of a century and if there were already some billions as they say or palaces I would have already been torn to pieces from all sides EU officials also dismissed the accusations as speculation 244 245 Personal lifeMarriage and children Lukashenko with his sons Lukashenko married Galina Zhelnerovich his high school sweetheart in 1975 Later that year his oldest son Viktor was born Their second son Dmitry was born in 1980 Galina lives separately in a house in the village Shklow 246 Though they are still legally married Galina Lukashenko has been estranged from her husband since shortly after he became president 247 In a 2014 interview Lukashenko said that they had not lived together for 30 years and the only reason they had not divorced was that he did not want to traumatize his adult sons 248 Lukashenko has been seen on public occasions with various women when asked about this in the same 2014 interview he explained that he did not want to sit with an official with a sour face preferring My son on one side and a girl on the other 248 Lukashenko fathered a son Nikolai who was born in 2004 Though never confirmed by the government it is widely believed that the child s mother is Irina Abelskaya the two had an extramarital affair when she was Lukashenko s personal doctor 249 There has never been any public statement about who Nikolai s mother is Nikolai was raised solely by his father 250 It has been reported by Western observers and media that Nikolai nicknamed Kolya is being groomed as Lukashenko s successor 251 252 According to Belarusian state media these speculations were dismissed by Lukashenko who also denied that he would remain in office for a further thirty years the time Nikolai will become eligible to stand for election and succeed him 253 Lukashenko has a pet dog a spitz named Umka 254 Sports Putin on friendly hockey match in Ice arena Bolshoy Sochi in 2014 With him are Lukashenko Viacheslav Fetisov and Valeri Kamensky Lukashenko used to play football but stopped playing during his presidency 255 His two elder sons also play ice hockey sometimes alongside their father 256 Lukashenko started training in cross country running as a child and in the 2000s still competed at the national level 257 He is a keen skier and ice hockey forward 258 In an interview he said that he plays ice hockey three times a week 259 He has established the Belarus President s team an amateur team which he sometimes plays for 260 Numerous ice rinks intended to enable competitive ice hockey games to be played have been built all over Belarus at Lukashenko s behest 261 Lukashenko was instrumental in getting the 2014 IIHF World Championship in ice hockey to be hosted by Belarus which was considered controversial due to Lukashenko s repressive regime 262 Belarus was supposed to host the 2021 IIHF World Championship in May 2021 but that was cancelled after international condemnation and threats by sponsors to withdraw 263 264 265 Religion and beliefs Lukashenko describes himself as an Orthodox atheist 266 and has said that he believes that the president should be a conservative person and avoid using modern electronic technology such as a tablet or smartphone 267 He used to play the bayan a musical instrument similar to an accordion 255 Orders and honors Alexander Lukashenko wearing the uniform of the commander in chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces in 2001 Medal In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow 1997 268 Winner of the international premium of Andrey Pervozvanny For Faith and Loyalty 1995 269 Medal Bethlehem 2000 Palestinian National Authority 2000 270 The Order of Jose Marti Cuba 2000 271 Order of the Revolution Libya 2000 272 Special prize of the International Olympic Committee Gates of Olympus 2000 273 Order For Merit to the Fatherland 2nd Class Russia 2001 274 Honorary citizen of Yerevan Armenia 2001 275 Order of St Dmitry Donskoy First Degree by the Russian Orthodox Church 2005 276 Medal of the International Federation of Festival Organizations For development of the world festival movement 2005 277 Order of St Cyril by the Belarusian Orthodox Church 2006 278 Honorary Diploma of the Eurasian Economic Community 2006 279 Order of the Holy Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir 1st Degree 2007 280 Grand Chain of the Order of the Liberator Venezuela 2007 281 Order of St Vladimir First Degree by the Russian Orthodox Church 2007 282 Keys to the City of Caracas Venezuela 2010 283 Order of Distinguished Citizen Caracas Venezuela 2010 284 Order of Francisco Miranda First Class Venezuela 2010 285 Order of the Republic of Serbia 2013 286 287 Presidential Order of Excellence Georgia 2013 288 Order of St Sava 1st Degree 2014 289 Order of Alexander Nevsky Russia August 30 2014 290 Order of St Seraphim of Sarov 1st Degree 2015 for merits in protecting the spiritual values of the Belarusian people maintaining church life and establishing peaceful relations between people of different faiths 291 Badge of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus For Merit Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus February 11 2016 292 Order of the Republic Moldova October 4 2016 as a sign of deep gratitude for the special merits in the development and strengthening of friendship mutual understanding and cooperation in various areas between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova and for the great personal contribution to providing significant support to our country in a difficult economic situation 293 294 Order of Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan November 28 2016 for special merits in the development of friendly relations and cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Azerbaijan 295 296 Order of Nazarbayev Kazakhstan 2019 297 298 Ig Nobel Prize Peace in 2013 Medical Education in 2020 Honorary Doctor of Science Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv He was deprived of his status on June 7 2021 due to the forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft in Belarus He became the first honorary doctor of science in the history of the university who was deprived of this title 299 Explanatory notes affiliated non member Belarusian Alyaksand a r Rygoravich Lukashenka romanized 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