Meeting: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the Future of Belarus in Europe

Special event in Vienna on the occasion of the Conference on Belarus organised by Alexander Schallenberg Austria’s Chancellor.

On 23 November 2021 Visegrad Insight and the Institue of Human Sciences in Vienna (IWM) organised a streamed meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of democratic Belarus. It has been streamed live and recorded (see below) as a side event to the official conference on Belarus hosted by Austria a day earlier and involving key EU ministers and heads of state.

The meeting at the IWM sought to answer the questions about the Western political agenda regarding Mr Lukashenka’s regime and about the future of Belarus in Europe.

Over the past year, Belarus has made its mark on Europeans’ mental map as a country with a vibrant civil society and the potential for democratic change. Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime, in power for the last 27 years, has thwarted every attempt at change. He lost the presidential election in August 2020 and is holding society hostage domestically. He has also begun to threaten the EU. Unprecedented pressure is being put on the European block through the weaponization of refugees and migrants from MENA countries, who are brought on purpose to the borders of the EU by the regime.

The European Union is seeking ways to respond to this most serious of challenges. That response entails weighing risks and opportunities for the future of the continent. What will the future hold for Belarus in Europe?

Read keynote by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and watch the video below (streaming starts with about 15mins delay)

Agenda:

Keynote Lecture by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Panel Discussion

Franak Viačorka, Foreign Policy Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
Christian Ultsch, Foreign Editor at Die Presse
Katherine Younger, Research Director “Ukraine in European Dialogue“, IWM
Moderated by Wojciech Przybylski, Editor-in-Chief Visegrad Insight and Europe’s Futures Fellow

Organised under the auspices of the “Europe’s Futures – Ideas for Action” project, IWM’s strategic partnership initiative with the ERSTE Foundation.

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Photos by Christian Fischer

• Belarus
• EU