W oczach Zachodu. Białoruś po 9.08.2020 r. w tradycyjnych mediach francuskich – casus „Le Monde”

Abstract

The article focuses on topics concerning Belarus appearing in the French daily Le Monde . The goal is to determine whether and how Belarus (defined as a state and a society) has been and is perceived in the French media, and whether the events, such as the presidential election of 9 August 2020 and the resulting protests, have impacted the interest of the media and the character of the published materials/press articles. The article has been divided into three parts, including a short characteristic of the Le Monde daily and a discussion on the reasons why the newspaper is regarded as an influential and opinion-forming. The second part is a brief presentation of the Belarussian themes, which were present in Le Monde before 9 August 2020. Finally, the third part of the article presents the analysis of press articles published in Le Monde between 9 August 2020 and 9 August 2021. The diachronic focus has revealed a gradual transformation of the image of Belarus, shaped by the French media, and a revision of the key words and the related interpretation framework. The framework, which has been used to describe Belarus until that time: Alexander Lukashenko (the last European dictator) − political opposition (political prisoners, victims of the regime) has proved to be insufficient. New notions have been appearing alongside the old framework, such as the Belarussian society, which is no longer passive and submissive but is becoming creative and increasingly active in the fight for a new Belarus, despite the threat of repressions from the authorities.