Elzbieta Szumanska 
European Influence on a Modern Dictatorship 
EU’s Experience with Belarus

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Politics – International Politics – Topic: European Union, grade: 2, 0, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), course: CSFP-Northern and Eastern Dimensions of the EU, language: English, abstract: Belarus became a dictatorship shortly after the young democracy there failed. Among different reasons of it not to be underestimated is the economic crisis that time and the lack of the national consciousness of Belarusians. Both made it easier to introduce violence, force order and stability mainly due to the fact that democracy was associated first of all with anarchy and empty shelves in shops. The intense relationship with Russia, mainly due to economic dependence and the Soviet tradition, caused an exclusion Belarus’ in Europe and also a self-exclusion of the
Belarusians. After several years of minimal contacts between Belarus and the West, there has been an increased interest in the region to be observed. The lesson from the past has shown that isolation and political/economic pressure do not work in case of Belarus, so that the “Serbia scenario” cannot be repeated. The main reasons for an increased interest in Belarus are the Eastern
enlargement of the European Union and the importance of resources, mainly gas and oil, flowing through the Republic from Russia. Next to the realistic approach that includes also the border
zone pragmatism, there are also idealistic reasons to be taken under consideration. The aspirations of the new member states in Central Europe and the believe of the EU that a stabile,
accountable neighborhood can be assured only through building democracy in the country made up the decision of the EU to intensify the democratization processes in Belarus.