At the beginning of the lecture/seminar, we will touch upon the EU as an actor in the field of democratisation and human rights protection and this issue in the context of the EU's Eastern Neighbourhood. Subsequently, we will specifically discuss EU-Belarus relations, their history and the EU's role as a normative actor in relation to Belarus. 

The discussion will focus on the limits and challenges of the EU's action as a democracy promotion and democratisation actor in relation to Belarus, including in the context of current events in the country: 

developments in 2020 and beyond; 

the migration crisis on the EU's external border from the perspective of EU, Polish, Russian and Belarusian leaders;

the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the current Russian-Belarusian alliance.

Questions for discussion:

Evaluate the long term the EU policy towards Belarus (sanctions, their partial suspension after 2016; efforts for rapprochement and the subsequent EU response to the events in 2020; the current close relationship of Lukashenko's Belarus with Russia, in the context of the war in Ukraine).

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of EU policy towards Belarus (prepare arguments).

What do you think are the possible solutions and approaches to the current situation (from the EU perspective) and what should be the further development of the EU policy? How can the EU help to resolve the extremely difficult situation concerning the Belarusian dissent and opposition?

Take into account the events of recent months and years (the migration crisis on the EU-Belarus border; Lukashenko's Belarus' cooperation with Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine and the current security situation in Eastern Europe). In your opinion, is there any prospect of a rapprochement between the EU and Belarus?

Readings (indicative):

Bosse, G. (2021): Authoritarian consolidation in Belarus: What role for the EU? European View. Vol. 20, Issue 2, pp: 201-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/17816858211061839

Korosteleva, E. and Petrova, I. (2021): Community Resilience in Belarus and the EU response. JCMS 2021 pp. 1–13. DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13248

Lvovskiy, L. (2023): Has Belarus´s Support for Russia´s War Gone Unrewarded? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 16.03.2023. On-line: https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/89276

Slunkin, P. (2023): A prison of the mind. Lukashenka´s pursuit of exiled Belarusians. European Council on Foreign Relations. Commentary. 30 January 2023. On-line: (https://ecfr.eu/article/a-prison-of-the-mind-lukashenkas-pursuit-of-exiled-belarusians/)

Recommended:

Börzel, T, A. - Lebanidze, B. (2017): “The transformative power of Europe” beyond enlargement: the EU’s performance in promoting democracy in its neighbourhood." East European Politics, 2017, VOL. 33, NO. 1, 17–35.  

Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Belarus (n.d.): https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/belarus_en?s=218

Podcast: The Story of Belarus. New Eastern Europe. November 25, 2020. On-line: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/11/25/the-story-of-belarus/

Nygren, B. (2010): The Rebuilding of Greater Russia. Putin´s foreign policy towards the CIS countries. London: Routledge, pp. 66 – 81. 

Stephen White, Tania Biletskaya & Ian McAllister (2016) Belarusians between East and West, Post-Soviet Affairs, 32:1, 1-27, DOI: 10.1080/1060586X.2014.986872

Titarenko, L. (2018): Belarus and the European Union. From confrontation to the dialogue. CSE WORKING PAPERS 18/01. Centro Studi Europei. On-line: (http://elea.unisa.it/bitstream/handle/10556/2553/2018_-_cse_wp_1._larisa_titarenko.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)  

PRESENTATION:

Position paper 5:

Discuss in the paper about the strengths and weaknesses of the EU policy towards Belarus. Which steps do you consider most problematic and where do you see the reasons why the country, after certain "episodes" of rapprochement with the EU, finally opted for a strong alliance with Putin's Russia and the suspension of its participation in the Eastern Partnership?

In your opinion, has the EU also achieved any successes in its policy towards Belarus?

What are the prospects for bilateral relations in the current reality, under the Lukashenko regime and with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine?

DEADLINE: Position paper must be uploaded to the particular folders no later than 1 p.m. of the day before the seminar for which the position paper is written, i.e. April 14, 2025, 1 p.m.

FOLDER FOR POSITION PAPER 5: