AN ANALYSIS OF DISCOURSES AND MEDIA STATEMENTS ON THE 2024 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN BELARUS: STRENGTHENING THE HEGEMONIC AUTHORITARIAN FAÇADE

Rezumat

After winning his first presidential term in 1994, Alexander Lukashenko laid the foundations of a hegemonic authoritarian regime in Belarus through which he controlled the country with an iron fist. Since 1995, three referendums have been held in this former Soviet republic. As a result, Belarusians have abandoned the national symbols adopted in 1991 in favor of those used during the Soviet era. They also voted for maintaining the death penalty and reducing the powers of the Parliament, which has since been controlled exclusively by the president. In 2022, following a new popular consultation, the Belarusian population granted Alexander Lukashenko the right to rule Belarus until 2035 and to lead the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, an institution that allows him new prerogatives at the expense of the Legislature. This paper examines the evolution of the 2024 Parliamentary elections, investigating the how the election process was conducted in this former Soviet republic. The study shows that the electoral process was uncompetitive and marked by the state repression, cooptation, intimidation, and fear, effectively dismantling the democratic façade and strengthening the stability of the current hegemonic authoritarian regime.