Book on Belarusian regime published by scholars from IIRPS VU

We invite you to read a joint monograph „Belarusian Regime Longevity: Happily Ever After…“. The authors are scholars at IIRPS VU.

About the book:

The end of Cold War raised optimistic beliefs that democracy begins to prevail at least in Europe if not worldwide. Francis Fukuyama even spoke of the End of History, having in mind, inter alia, that after all countries choose democracy as the only feasible political regime, the studies of transitology will get discarded to the archives of history. Unfortunately quite the opposite happened: it turned out that democracy can pave the ground for the return of non-democratic regimes. Belarus is the example of authoritarian rule not only regaining its strength, but what makes it even worse – creating or exploiting the existing situation both within and outside the country as a tool of consolidating power in hands of one man. This book will find its reader among those interested in political processes within Eastern Europe as well as those studying political transition not towards democracy but the opposite way. But most of all will this book be interesting to those in search of alternative answers and causality in analysis of political phenomena.

Contents:

Jovita Pranevičiūtė-Neliupšienė, Tomas Janeliūnas
Introduction. Longevity of Belarusian Regime: Questions and Answers

Jovita Pranevičiūtė-Neliupšienė
Forming National Identity and Building up Loyalty to State: A Backcone for Regime Stability?

Vytis Jurkonis
Fate and Role of the Belarusian Language

Jovita Pranevičiūtė-Neliupšienė
Ideology of Belarus: Victory over Hearts and Minds

Jovita Pranevičiūtė-Neliupšienė, Zhanna Maksimiuk
Authoritarian Bargain in Belarus: The System of Social Benefits as a Factor of Regime Stability

Kristina Vaičiūnaitė
The Potential of Civil Society in Belarus

Jovita Pranevičiūtė-Neliupšienė, Valentinas Beržiūnas
The Impact of Force Structures and the Army on Maintaining the Regime in Belarus

Laurynas Jonavičius
From Russia with Love: Internal Balance of Power in Russia and the Survival of Lukashenko’s Regime

Vytis Jurkonis, Tadas Pikčiūnas
(In)dependent Economy of Belarus through the Lenses of International Trade and FDI

Tomas Janeliūnas
Changes in the EU Eastern Neighbourhood Policy and Concept of Sanctions and Influence on the Belarusian Regime

Kristina Vaičiūnaitė, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Juljan Jachovič
Alexander Lukashenko’s Success Stoy: Personal Traits and Self-Efficacy

Laurynas Jonavičius
Epilogue