According to her advisors, the leader of the Belarus opposition party, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has communicated a desire and willingness to meet with French President Emanuel Macron. The proposed meeting would take place in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, where Macron will be for a visit later this week. An advisor of Tsikhanouskaya, Franak Viacorka told Reuters, “We have sent a letter to Macron’s office saying we have the desire to meet. We are waiting for confirmation and we will be happy to meet him during his visit in Vilnius.” In response to this, a spokesperson of the French government expressed Macron’s willingness to meet with Tsikhanouskaya.
In addition to France and its leadership, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced, during a Bundestag meeting, her desire to meet with Tsikhanouskaya. Germany and France, as well as the rest of the member states that comprise the European Union, did not recognize the recent election results in Belarus as legitimate. The election resulted in over 80% of the vote being given to the incumbent, President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko has long been seen as an authoritarian figure and the recent election results served as a turning point for the Belarusian people with many of them taking to the streets to protest. The protestors have persisted in their calls for new elections, democracy, and human rights, despite Lukashenko’s government attempting to use force to dissuade them.
Tsikhanouskaya, a key member of the opposition party, feared for her life and fled the country following the August election results. Consistent with his authoritarian style of leadership, Lukashenko has a record of punishing those opposed to him and his administration, thus making him a real threat to opposition leader. Despite not being in Belarus, Tsikahnouskaya continues to work to reform Belarus and its political landscape, frequently supporting the protestors, calling for new elections, and now offering to hold mediation talks with the help of neighboring countries.
It is noteworthy that Macron is making a visit to Lithuania, as the latter has increasingly clashed with Belarus and is bearing the burden of Lukashenko’s government by providing aid or harboring those who flee Belarus. It will be interesting to see if talks between France and Lithuania, along with the possible presence of Tsikahounskaya, will largely concern the Belarusian situation and result in some ways to mitigate or mediate it.
The EU has continued its narrative of condemning the false elections in Belarus, affirmed its commitment to the values of democracy and human rights, and has further spoken out against Lukashenko and the Belarusian security forces that would seek to harm the people. The implications of this are not to be overlooked as France and Germany represent two of the most powerful countries in Western Europe and exert considerable influence. Their role in the Belarus crisis is crucial, and it’s a step in the proper direction for them to be starting the process of peace talks and mediation efforts while holding off on any combative or military measures.
Earlier this year, the EU also threatened sanctions upon certain individuals involved in the electoral fraud, though it is still not clear when this will happen or to whom. While it is imperative that Lukashenko’s security forces let up on the protestors, it is not yet the place of other nation states to intervene and possibly undermine the sovereignty of Belarus. The people have clear goal in mind, are putting forth a united front, and other options and attempts at reasoning with Lukashenko have not yet been exhausted or rebuffed to the point that an intervention is necessary.
Progress is being made and steps are being taken in the right direction. There is sufficient reason to believe that Tsikahnouskaya is an accurate representation of the people’s voice and wishes. She has proven up to the task of challenging Lukashenko and has done well to recognize the need for support and involvement from neighboring states that bear influence. It has been said before that in order for a re-election to take place or talks between political parties to occur, there must first be established a peaceful context. The appropriate steps are now being taken and it will be interesting to see the results of these efforts.
