THE AUTHORITY IS LOSING ITS SUPPORTERS
The distinction in kind between the Belarusian political model and the one accepted in European countries can be well illustrated by the example of the use of the word “power” or “authority”. Let us refer to the headline of the article...

ECHO OF THE OIL AND GAS CONFLICT
In July and August one more conflict concerning energy carrier deliveries burst out between Belarus and Russia. Belarus was trying to obtain postponement of payments and credit granting. Nevertheless, after “Gazprom” had threatened with delivery reduction the money was paid...

LEGS OF THE THRONE
Belarusian authoritative elite is determined in home political science either as homogenous mass of obedient executors of supreme will, or as chieftains of powerful clans, who tirelessly struggle against each other. Although head of state once said that there was only one political figure in the country, it seems useful sometimes to look at these people if not as at politicians than at least as at people’s servants and to find out how people assess their service...

"CASTLE" IN THE KGB
July of the year 2007 all of a sudden turned out to be a month of decisions concerning personnel rearrangements. Dismission of chairman of the KGB S. Suchorenko and his first assistant V. Dementey became the most remarkable one. Let us remind the official version of what had happened stated by the Administration newspaper "Soviet Belarus"...

FATHER AND SON
It has recently become fashionable among Belarusian political scientists to discuss the problem of a successor. This matter might have been borrowed from the eastern neighbor, where it has actually become the most important one due to the forthcoming presidential elections in March, 2008. It is worth mentioning, that A. Lukashenko himself does not bring it up...

FRAMEWORK OF PROTEST ACTIVITY
We have shown earlier that there is a significant distance between declarations about readiness to take part in protest actions and real participation in them. What are the real limits of the protest potential of the Belarusian society, and what is it restricted to?...

INDIFFERENCE AS A FACTOR OF STABILITY
Oil-gas crisis which has broken out in January of the current year is to lead to an economic crisis according to the majority of oppositional analysts. It is clear, that their opponents stick to a different point of view. Public opinion in this case has no choice but to split up depending on political preferences...

FROM WORDS TO ACTIONS
Lately in Belarusian opposition mass media articles in which authors express their doubts about the results of independent opinion polls have been appearing in increasing frequency...

FOR MARKET, BUT THE SOCIALIST ONE
Judging by the results of the last opinion poll Belarusians once again begin to realize the efficiency of private property. The registered estimation change does not come out from “pure” propaganda alone launched by the state mass media and their non-governmental rivals...

INTEREST IN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
An ability of this or that society to economic and political transformation is determined not only by preparedness of its ruling elite for reforms, but also by modernization potential of the society itself. The latter in the upshot determines the framework of possibilities in which the activity of elite is realized...

FROM THE HISTORY OF ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM
If we try to express the main change which has taken place in Belarusian society in 2007, it is probably strengthening of nervousness which appeared under the influence of January oil and gas conflict...

GEOPOLITICAL PUZZLE
September opinion poll has registered significant drop in the integration mood of the Belarusian society. Integration with the East becomes less attractive for Belarusians, as well as with the West; and at the same time they become less attracted by either their country’s joining the EU or Russia...

ECONOMIC PREFERENCES OF THE BELARUSIANS: WHAT HAS CHANGED DURING 10 YEARS?
Public opinion including economic views of the population as it is known considerably changes with time under the influence of different factors, such as development of productive forces, change of the population socio-demographic characteristics, purposeful arrangements on the part of the authorities, etc. Data of opinion polls can be quite successfully used for analysis of these changes, their depth and direction...

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