Monthly Archive: September 2008

RESULTS OF THE NATION OPINION POLL CONDUCTED ON SEPTEMBER 2-12, 2008

(1501 persons interviewed, margin of error does not exceed 0.03)   1. To what extent are you satisfied with the present living conditions in Belarus? Variant of answer % I am completely satisfied with them 15.6 I am more likely satisfied than unsatisfied 40.1 I am more likely unsatisfied than satisfied 31.1 I am completely …

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BULLETINS INFOFOCUS № 9

E-bulletin of IISEPS Center for Documentation, N 9, 2008 – ISSN 1822-5578 (only Russian) Content: Introduction 1. Basic trends of September 2. Chronicle of key events 3. Politics 3.1. Who stood up whom? 3.2. An invitation for a dance 4. Economics 4.1. Striking by a new foreign-made car at the impassability of roads 4.2. Replenishment …

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BULLETINS “IISEPS NEWS” N 3 (49) SEPTEMBER

IISEPS News – ISSN 1822-5535 (Printing), ISSN 1822-5543 (ONLINE), N 3 (49), 2008 Content: Preface MONITORING OF PUBLIC OPINION IN BELARUS: September-2008 About the “unexampled democratism” of the last elections Where is the hand of the social barometer pointing at? About symbolic and pragmatic power Success of the reforms which did not start The woman’s …

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THE ECHO OF THE CAUCASIAN WAR OR THE EUROPEAN MINIMUM-2

As the data of Table 1 reveal, a tendency of systematic decrease in pro-European aspirations of the Belarusians has been observed since December, 2002. The September opinion poll of 2008 has registered, however, a new minimum: the results of the opinion poll show a quite considerable decrease of the pro-European attitudes in comparison with the last opinion polls as well as with the average level for several years.

BY-NET IN THE MIRROR OF SOCIOLOGY

National opinion polls in Belarus conducted by the IISEPS already for many years show that the number of the Internet users in Belarus grows steadily and quite swiftly (Table 1), probably as in the whole world. Today every third grown-up in our country uses this civilization achievement.

POLITICIZED MERCY

In August political prisoners such as former presidential contender A. Kozulin, youth activist A. Kim and businessman S. Parsukevich were unexpectedly released from the Belarusian jails. Their discharge was preceded by numerous efforts on the part of the West. As an example let us remind that exactly the refusal of A. Lukashenko to release prisoners of conscience led to the “diplomatic war” between Belarus and the USA.

WHO TRIED TO BLOW UP BELARUSIAN STABILITY?

On the night from July, 3 to July, 4 during the celebrating of the Independence Day in Minsk an explosion took place in the very center of the festive gathering in the streets. Frankly speaking, it is not an ordinary event for the country which officially positions itself as “an island of stability”. That is why one should not be surprised that for some period of time it became topic number one not only in the state and non-governmental mass media, but also for discussing in the society. The data of Table 1 confirm what has been mentioned above. Such a high level of familiarity one can observe not so often.

SUCCESS OF THE REFORMS WHICH DID NOT START

In autumn of the previous year the Belarusian authorities began reforming the economy under the pressure of the reality which had taken shape by that time. A year passed, and in September such authoritative international organizations as the World Bank and the International Financial Corporation published a regular report “Conduct of business 2009”.

THE WOMAN’S CONSTITUENT OF A RATING

The shift of the social barometer hand in the direction of the point “clear” stimulated by the growth of salaries and pensions at once reflected on the growth of the head’s of state ratings (trust and electoral ones) (Tables 1-2). In the circumstances of purposeful maintenance of political non-alternativeness it could not possibly be otherwise. However, to all appearances the first person does not have any special reason for joy due to the presence of the given cause-and-effect relation, since the person, in spite of his rank, consequently turns into a trite hostage of economic indexes. Naturally, in this case there is no room for love, to say nothing about a great and blessed one. A hostage is a hostage in Belarus as well; and the society builds up its relation with him on the pure estimate of expenses and gains.

WHERE IS THE HAND OF THE SOCIAL BAROMETER POINTING AT?

The hand of the barometer registering self-sensation of the Belarusian society slowly but persistently is bending to the point “clear”. The shock caused by the rise in prices at the end of 2007 judging by the answers to the question “In what way has your personal financial position changed for the last three months?” is finally overcome (Table 1). Not in the last place such overcoming is connected with the ability of the society to adapt itself to the changed conditions. For the majority of the Belarusians adaptation is the basic social strategy. They are used to answering to the outside changes in a reactive manner not even trying to engage in search for active life alternatives.