by
October 12 – October 18, 2015

EU on course to lift Belarus sanctions despite vote concerns

The situation has not changed
EU on course to lift Belarus sanctions despite vote concerns

Belarus’s election fell short of democratic standards, monitors said on Monday after President Alexander Lukashenko won a fifth term, but Europe still looked set to ease sanctions as France and Germany welcomed a lack of political repression.

Moves by Lukashenko, including the pardoning of six opposition figures before the election, suggest Lukashenko could be seeking to improve his image abroad to rely less on his ally Russia, which is under Western sanctions due to the Ukraine conflict.

“It is clear that Belarus still has a long way to go towards fulfilling its democratic commitments,” said Kent Hasted, head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s observer mission for the election, in a statement.

You have been successfully subscribed

Subscribe to our newsletter

Once a week, in coordination with a group of prominent Belarusian analysts, we provide analytical commentaries on the most topical and relevant issues, including the behind-the-scenes processes occurring in Belarus. These commentaries are available in Belarusian, Russian, and English.
EN
BE/RU
Subscribe

Situation in Belarus

March 18 – March 24
View all

Subscribe to us

Read more