Global InformationAlexander Lukashenko information
Alexander Lukashenko | |
|---|---|
| Александр Лукашенко Аляксандр Лукашэнка | |
 Lukashenko in 2023 | |
| President of Belarus | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 20 July 1994[a] | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Myechyslaw Hryb (as head of state and Chairman of the Supreme Council) |
| Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 26 January 2000 | |
| Chairman of the Council of Ministers |
|
| General Secretary |
|
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Member of the Supreme Council of Belarus | |
| In office 25 August 1991 – 20 July 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko 30 August 1954 Kopys, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (now Belarus) |
| Political party | Independent (1992–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse |
Galina Zhelnerovich (m. 1975) |
| Children |
|
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Economist and collective farmer[4] |
| Signature |  |
| Website | president |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
|
| Branch/service |
|
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel[5] |
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Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko[c] (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka;[d] born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994.[7] This makes him the longest-serving European president.[8]
Before embarking on his political career, Lukashenko worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz) and served in both the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. In 1990, Lukashenko was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he assumed the position of head of the interim anti-corruption committee of the Supreme Council of Belarus. In 1994, he won the presidency in the country's inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.
Lukashenko opposed economic shock therapy during the 1990s post-Soviet transition, maintaining state ownership of key industries in Belarus. This spared Belarus from recessions as devastating as those in other post-Soviet states and the former Eastern Bloc countries which prevented the rise of oligarchy. Lukashenko's maintenance of socialist economic model is consistent with the retaining of Soviet-era symbolism, including the Russian language, coat of arms and national flag. These symbols were adopted after a controversial 1995 referendum.
Subsequent to the same referendum, Lukashenko acquired increased power, including the authority to dismiss the Supreme Council. Another referendum in 1996 further facilitated his consolidation of power. Lukashenko has since presided over an authoritarian government and has been labeled by the media as "Europe's last dictator".[9] International monitors have not regarded Belarusian elections as free and fair, except for his initial win. The government suppresses opponents and limits media freedom.[10] This has resulted in multiple Western governments imposing sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials.[11] Lukashenko's contested victory in the 2020 presidential election preceded allegations of vote-rigging, amplifying anti-government protests, the largest seen during his rule.[8] Consequently, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States do not recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus following the disputed election.[12][13]
Such isolation from parts of the West have increased his dependence on Russia, with whom Lukashenko had already maintained close ties with despite some disagreements related to trade. This has been particularly the case following the rise to power of Vladimir Putin, replacing reformist president Boris Yeltsin. Lukashenko played a crucial role in creating the Union State of Russia and Belarus, enabling Belarusians and Russians to travel, work, and study freely between the two countries. He also reportedly played a crucial role in brokering a deal to end the Russian Wagner Group rebellion in 2023, allowing some Wagner soldiers into Belarus.[14]
- ^ "Belarus leader Lukashenko holds secret inauguration amid continuing protests". france24.com. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Belarus: Mass protests after Lukashenko secretly sworn in". BBC News. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
Several EU countries and the US say they do not recognise Mr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus.
- ^ "Exiled leader calls weekend of protests in Belarus". BBC News. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
"Golos platform presents the final report on the presidential election". Voice of Belarus. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
"EU rejects Lukashenko inauguration as illegitimate". Dw.com. 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
Ljunggren, Josh Smith (29 September 2020). "Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
"OSCE Report on the Presidential Elections 2020 in Belarus" (PDF). Osce.org. 29 October 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
"Belarus protesters battered, bruised but defiant after 100 days". BBC News. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020. - ^ Mirovalev, Mansur (25 November 2021). "Europe's 'last dictator': Who is Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko?". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Lukashenko reveals his military rank". belarus.by. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Russia-related Designations and Designation Update; Belarus Designation and Designation Update; Magnitsky-related Designations". treasury.gov. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Belarus – Government". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
- ^ a b "Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko under fire". BBC News. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^
- Balmforth, Richard (27 November 2012). "Interview with Belarus President Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
"I am the last dictator in Europe," Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has told Reuters in a rare interview.
- Tharoor, Ishaan. "Analysis | Can people power topple Europe's 'last dictator'?". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- "Profile: Alexander Lukashenko". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
'..an authoritarian ruling style is characteristic of me [Lukashenko]'
- Levitsky, Steven; Way, Lucan A. (2010). "The Evolution of Post-Soviet Competitive Authoritarianism". Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War. Problems of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 203. ISBN 9781139491488. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
Unlike his predecessor, Lukashenka consolidated authoritarian rule. He censored state media, closed Belarus's only independent radio station [...].
- Treisman, Rachel (16 August 2020). "One Week After Election, Belarus Sees Giant Protests Against 'Europe's Last Dictator'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Balmforth, Richard (27 November 2012). "Interview with Belarus President Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^
- "Belarus leader dismisses democracy even as vote takes place". AP NEWS. 17 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- Rausing, Sigrid (7 October 2012). "Belarus: inside Europe's last dictatorship". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- "World Report 2020: Rights Trends in Belarus". Human Rights Watch. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- "Human rights by country – Belarus". Amnesty International Report 2007. Amnesty International. 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
- Jones, Mark P. (2018). Herron, Erik S; Pekkanen, Robert J; Shugart, Matthew S (eds.). "Presidential and Legislative Elections". The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.001.0001. ISBN 9780190258658. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
unanimous agreement among serious scholars that... Lukashenko's 2015 election occurred within an authoritarian context.
- Levitsky, Steven (2013). Competitive authoritarianism: hybrid regimes after the Cold War. Cambridge University Press. pp. 4, 9–10, 21, 70. ISBN 978-0-521-88252-1. OCLC 968631692.Crabtree, Charles; Fariss, Christopher J.; Schuler, Paul (2016). "The presidential election in Belarus, October 2015". Electoral Studies. 42: 304–307. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2016.02.006. ISSN 0261-3794. S2CID 155377250. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- "Belarus strongman Lukashenko marks 25 years in power | DW | 10 July 2019". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "COUNCIL DECISION 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus". Official Journal of the European Union. Council of the European Union. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.Department of the Treasury (5 December 2012). "Belarus Sanctions". Government of the United States. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2013."EU slaps sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko for crackdown". BBC. 6 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.Ljunggren, Josh Smith (29 September 2020). "Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2020.COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1648 of 6 November 2020 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus Archived 23 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine
"Swiss freeze assets of Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. 12 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022. - ^ "El Pais interview with HR/VP Borrell: "Lukashenko is like Maduro. We do not recognize him but we must deal with him"". eeas.europa.eu. 24 August 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Dave Lawler, U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as legitimate president of Belarus Archived 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Axios (24 September 2020).
- ^ "The milk split by the milk war". POLITICO. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
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