Show Referendum Under Way in Belarus

Belarus will hold a referendum on changes to its constitution called by strongman Alexander Lukashenka as a response to the 2020 rigged election.

This Week On Visegrad Insight: 

• An exclusive event on 21 February 2022 on the state of play between Belarus and Russia.
• A live (in-person) debate in Bratislava on 22 February on Is the EU Doing Enough to Shield CEE Democracies from Autocratic Influences?
• Andrej Matisak explores Slovakia’s complicated relationship with NATO.
• Alina Bargaoanu looks into misinformation in CEE during the pandemic and beyond.

EU/regional:

• The Group of Seven most developed nations are prepared to have ‘a serious dialogue’ with Russia on the Ukraine crisis, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Friday, on the eve of crunch talks in Munich with her G7 counterparts.
• The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will meet on 21 February to discuss the proposal from the Commission for a regulation on deforestation-free products. The same day, the Foreign Affairs Council will meet to discuss the latest developments in Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine and will hold a discussion on the European security situation. The Competitiveness Council on Internal market and industry will meet on 24 February to discuss the directive as regards corporate sustainability regulation (CSRD), the regulation on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market and the European Chips Act.

Rubber Stamp Referendum

Belarus: