On January 26, Belarusians will participate in a presidential election. There are officially five candidates, but it is widely expected that 70-year-old President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for over three decades, will secure another term. Often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator”, Lukashenko has openly expressed his desire for power, stating in 2012 that he is the only dictator in Europe and the world. The upcoming election has been criticized by Belarus’s opposition, the United States, the European Parliament, and rights groups as a “sham”. The previous election in 2020 resulted in mass protests due to allegations of vote rigging, followed by a harsh crackdown by authorities. Experts believe that Lukashenko’s drive for power and fear of losing control motivate his actions. Born in 1954, Lukashenko began his political career in the Soviet era and has maintained a nostalgic view of that time. He won Belarus’s first free and fair presidential election in 1994, promising to combat corruption and lawlessness. Lukashenko has established a paternalistic image as “Bat’ka” or father of the nation, but his leadership style is marked by fear and control. Over the years, Lukashenko has consolidated power through referendums, giving him control over parliament and abolishing presidential term limits. Critics accuse his regime of human rights abuses and a culture of fear within law enforcement. As Belarus prepares for the upcoming election, the question remains: who is the man behind the leader and what drives him today?
