There are statues that are less easily debunked than others. But that of President Alexander Lukashenko, clinging to power since 1994, seems to be shaken a little more every day. Mobilization does not weaken in Belarus, ten days after his contested re-election. It even seems to be growing and taking with it an ever larger part of the population.
On Monday, workers on strike gave Lukashenko a snub, live on television. Coming to speak to these workers of a tractor factory, in an attempt to ease tensions and put an end to the mobilization, the president was interrupted by a crowd chanting: “Go! Go! »Image of a destroyed bond of trust, of an authority that now seems impossible. There were several factories on strike on Monday, and some television channels, including state channels, have also chosen to stop work.
This mobilization comes in the wake of massive demonstrations in Minsk, the capital, where tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to oppose the power in place. On August 9, Lukashenko was re-elected with 80% of the vote against the backdrop of numerous suspicions of fraud.
"The institutions are always loyal to him, but that can change at any time"
The protests that followed were harshly repressed, and eyewitness accounts reported that police tortured protesters in prison, before gradually releasing them. Which only fueled popular anger a little more.
"The protest continues throughout the country, even in small villages and in the east of the country, which has never been very politicized," said Franak Viačorka, a Belarusian analyst, who fled Minsk for security reasons. “Support for Lukashenko is declining day by day. The institutions are always loyal to him, but that can change at any time… ”, he continues.
The head of state however repeated that he did not intend to give up power. “I will never do anything under pressure,” he said. Lukashenko, who has repeatedly accused foreign forces of encouraging protests in the country, also boasted of having Vladimir Putin's full support. Reached several times by phone, he allegedly promised "full assistance" to ensure the security of the country. Even if many observers claim that Lukashenko no longer has the full support of the Kremlin.
Pressure has also mounted on the international side. Brussels called an extraordinary summit of the 27 EU countries on Wednesday to discuss the Belarusian political crisis and called for "a thorough investigation" into the allegations of abuse against the demonstrators.
The opposition candidate ready "to act as a national leader"
For his part, Emmanuel Macron must meet with Putin in the next few days. "Our wish is that together, Europeans and Russians, we can encourage Belarusians, by means and means, procedures that must be determined, to work out this transitional solution", underlines the Elysee.
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Refugee in Lithuania, the opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, said she was ready in a video "to act as a national leader". This Monday afternoon, Lukashenko finally declared that he was ready to organize other elections, after the adoption of a new constitution. This is unlikely to be enough to appease the anger of the Belarusian people.