Recent events in Belarus dominated the "30 years of freedom – successes and failures of Central Europe" plenary session. While most countries in the region can celebrate the anniversaries of their independence, not all of them have succeeded. On the contrary, right behind our eastern border a real dictator has risen.
More worryingly, as Bogusław Chrabota, chief editor of the "Rzeczpospolita" newspaper and moderator of the discussion, noted, Europe, Western countries and countries of the region should have some sense of guilt that they have tolerated the stunts of such a violent politician for years. – And today, Belarus demands freedom and it is our duty to respond to this voice – said Chrabota.
What sanctions?
A response to this question is neither simple nor clear. As Aleksander Milinkiewicz, the Chancellor of the Free University of Belarus, emphasised, consistent support of the Belarusian nation is of the utmost importance.
– I do not think that the neighbouring countries are to blame for the situation in Belarus. We are the ones who have to topple the dictator and regain independence without the outside help – stressed Milinkiewicz. – Today our nation is born, suppressed for centuries, in many ways. The revolt of the country's youth is our chance for better future, we cannot jeopardise that. This is our most important mission. When it comes to the reaction of Western countries, we expect consistency. The situation cannot be the same as in previous years, when the Western countries have been forgetting about the Belarusian democrats and leaving them on their own immediately after a single goodwill gesture of Lukashenko. – he emphasised.
The most delicate issue seems to be the question of potential sanctions. – Personally, I would advocate some kind of moral sanctions against Lukashenko and his people. I cannot imagine restrictive economic sanctions, because it would strongly affect the society. We can isolate the dictator but we cannot forget that there are 9 million people in the country – pointed out the Chancellor.
