It becomes increasingly difficult to prepare resolutions on Belarus, which can say something new. The next one could be of one sentence: We reiterate the findings and positions, stated in our previous resolutions.
It looks like the President of Belarus has invented the time machine – that is the only reasonable explanation why and how a country in Europe can freeze itself in the today’s dynamic and interconnected world.
There are very clear indicators, which could measure if elections are free and fair. They apply to every country in the world, and Belarus cannot be an exception. There, no elections are recognized as free and fair since 1995.
In other words, the legitimacy of all elected representatives is insufficient. If we talk to them, we do not talk to the Belarusian people – as simple as that.
So what can we do? Stay and wait? Engage and support? Sanction and punish? Everything has been tried so far, with ups and downs but the final result is zero.
One option is to invent something completely new, which would shake the people of Belarus and would wake-up a critical mass. Not very realistic.
Another is to follow an enhanced version of the current long-term strategy, a roadmap to democracy. Its core should be to gradually raise the awareness of the Belarusian people and of the Belarussian society. Because change can be supported by Brussels, but should be prepared and should happen in Minsk.
Speech by Kristian Vigenin in plenary on the elections in Belarus