Belarusians between East and West

Abstract

Belarus has a divided identity that reflects its complex history and culture. A mixed-methods investigation incorporating focus groups and national representative surveys conducted over a decade or more suggests that Belarusians themselves are more likely to regard themselves as "European" than their counterparts in Ukraine and Russia, but less likely to do so than in other European countries. There is substantial support for a hypothetical European Union membership, particularly among younger respondents, but there is also strong and widely distributed support for a closer association with the other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Consistently, it is the "multidirectional" foreign policy promoted by the current leadership, which seeks closer relations with East and West at the same time, that finds the greatest support. But a "Slavic choice" is also popular, and much more so than a "Western choice" or isolationism.

The geopolitical orientations of ordinary Belarusians: survey evidence from early 2020

“…Fourth, Belarus is part of a group of "in-between states" --Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine --that are locations of competition and rivalry between Russia and Euro-Atlantic institutions (White, Biletskaya and McAllister 2016;Charap et al 2018;Dembinska and Smith 2021). All six states are nominally part of the European Union's Eastern Partnership program which aspires to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union EU, its member states and these eastern neighboring states.…”

Identity in an Autocratic State: Or What Belarusians Talk about When They Talk about National Identity

“…Comparing the geopolitical preferences of Belarusian people over the years, the survey data combined with focus group discussions showed that people had grown in favor of foreign policies that "respected state sovereignty and yielded practical benefits." 22 The multi-vectoral position in foreign policy, which promotes cooperation with different countries and is closely associated with the Belarusian government's stance, has gained popular approval in the country against other choices for regional integration. It specifies that placing the discussion of Belarusian identity between the geopolitical vectors, Russia and europe, or east and West, does not account for growing attachment to the state and people's identification as citizens of Belarus.…”

“…It specifies that placing the discussion of Belarusian identity between the geopolitical vectors, Russia and europe, or east and West, does not account for growing attachment to the state and people's identification as citizens of Belarus. 23 Thus, while elite discourses of national identity might persist along the ideological lines or cultural choices that are envisioned for Belarus, 24 popular discourses of national identity are not conditioned by the necessity to choose any specific cultural path.…”

Keberpihakan Belarusia Terhadap Rusia Dalam Perang Rusia-Ukraina Tahun 2022

“…Kemudian kebijakan ini diperkuat dengan adanya referendum lanjutan pada bulan November 1996 yang menghasilkan persetujuan untuk memperpanjang kekuasaan Lukashenko. Hasil dari referendum ini dianggap cacat serta mengundang kecaman dari pihak oposisi rezim Lukashenko dan Pemerintah Barat atas dasar kepatuhan konstitusional(White et al 2014). Peristiwa tersebut menjadi tanda distorsi hubungan antara Belarusia dan Uni Eropa.…”