Abstract
The article examines the possible reasons for regime stability in Belarus through the concepts of social contract and authoritarian bargain, arriving at the proposition that the extensive social welfare system in Belarus is the key to understanding the stability of the system over years. In academic literature, social and welfare policies are among the least researched factors of Belarus regime stability. The article summarizes theoretical findings on the use of social policies in authoritarian regimes and provides a detailed review of the structure and development of the social welfare system in Belarus. It is concluded that due to extensive social and welfare policies, the Belarusian regime manages to maintain social support at the level which is minimal but enough to keep stability in society and the political elite unchanged.
Highlights
The Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka was elected in 1994
The article examines the possible reasons for regime stability in Belarus through the concepts of social contract and authoritarian bargain, arriving at the proposition that the extensive social welfare system in Belarus is the key to understanding the stability of the system over years
The aim of this article is to analyze whether the model of social contract can help to explain the survival of Lukashenka’s regime and how the authoritarian bargain ensures the tools for system stability
Summary
The Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka was elected in 1994. Since he has been successful in remaining in power, and in consolidating his regime to the level of a broad social contract, which is almost undoubted by general society and the politically active opposition. The aim of this article is to analyze whether the model of social contract can help to explain the survival of Lukashenka’s regime and how the authoritarian bargain ensures the tools for system stability. One of them – Desai and others – helps to put a case study of Belarus into the context of general quantitative research. The identity and mentality of the Belarusian nation has been studied quite extensively by a wide range of authors with more or less success in explaining the regime stability.
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