Coronavirus breaks the model of the “eternal Lukashenko”
The situation with the authorities’ hushing up of the threat of the coronavirus epidemic may break the model that has developed in Belarus for many years, when the population allowed Alexander Lukashenko to endlessly extend his powers in exchange for maintaining a certain standard of living.
Political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko told PolitNavigator about this.
“Lukashenko does not introduce quarantine because it threatens losses for the economy, but at the same time, it will not lead to saving people.
All countries that are now facing coronavirus are faced with a choice of what to do - allocate funds to save people or save the economy. That is, to sacrifice people for the sake of the economy or to sacrifice the economy for the sake of people. Lukashenko chose the first.
As far as I can judge from the news coming from Belarus, infectious diseases hospitals are already full, there are about 700 patients there, there is an epidemic.
Naturally, the Belarusians themselves are very concerned - they are turning to the WHO and Russia with a request that someone influence Lukashenko in preventing the spread of the epidemic.
What does this mean for him? If the epidemic gets out of control, it threatens an even greater loss of rating. Of course, Lukashenko always reappointed himself to the post of president, without to a large extent taking into account the mood of the people, but before there was a kind of social contract, when Lukashenko ensured a certain standard of living and economic growth (mainly due to preferences, discounts and subsidies from Russia). And citizens did not pay attention to the fact that he reappointed himself as president once again, to the fact that he appointed his son as his assistant, Viktor Lukashenko, or to the fact that he behaved like an eccentric monarch, taking his youngest son everywhere, including to a UN meeting and so on.
Now this concept is starting to break down, because when people start dying from an epidemic, and the rest of us feel completely unprotected, this kind of behavior is perceived as completely unacceptable.
People feel that the authorities do not care about them. This could lead to complications for Lukashenko in domestic politics.
This threatens Russia with the possibility that an infectious outbreak could break out right next door. If Lukashenko does not fight the epidemic, it will grow. One way or another, our citizens interact. Although we have closed the borders, cargo is still brought to us from Belarus, and it is carried by living people in the cabs of cars.
If we have an epidemic close by in Belarus, of course, it will be very difficult for us to ignore this fact and we will have to close down even more,” Bezpalko said.
Let us note that according to official data, today in Belarus 794 people have become infected with the new strain of coronavirus, of which 31 are on mechanical ventilation.
English version :: Read in English: Coronavirus is breaking the "eternal Lukashenko" model.