Tribune: “For Belarus, the path to Europe goes through Strasbourg”

This article was originally published in English

Europe’s journey over more than three-quarters of a century reflects a vision formulated by one of its founding fathers, Robert Schuman: “Europe will not be built all at once, nor in an overall construction: it will be built through concrete achievements, first creating de facto solidarity”.

As Robert Schuman predicted, Europe has evolved step by step, with each achievement profoundly improving the lives of its citizens.

This evolving Europe transcends geographic definitions and forms a community committed to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. These values, advocated by the Council of Europe, the leading organization defending human rights, the rule of law and democracy on our continent, are precisely what many Belarusians are courageously fighting for today.

For the Belarusian people, the path to Europe runs through Strasbourg. The Council of Europe will be the key to the country’s democratic future.

Although Belarus has never been one of its member states, this has not stopped the Council of Europe from working to bring this country closer to European values. The formal relations and cooperation that had been established, however, came to an abrupt end following the outbreak of large-scale aggression against Ukraine by Russia.

In 2022, after breaking all ties with the Minsk regime, the Council of Europe created a contact group with democratic forces and civil society in Belarus, a pioneering initiative from which other organizations are drawing inspiration today. today.

Never before has he opened such cooperation with a country’s democratic forces without maintaining relations with its official government.

This bold move highlights the extraordinary nature of the current times and the essential work that must be done to support Belarus’s democratic aspirations.

Breaking down barriers to democracy

For the courageous citizens of Belarus, facing the difficulties of repression and the struggle for a democratic society, the importance of the role and objective of the Council of Europe cannot be overestimated. The Organization’s experience in supporting the democratic transition of European countries and monitoring these processes marks the way forward for Belarus.

Furthermore, this dialogue platform gives Belarusians the opportunity to take part in a broader debate at European level on democracy and human rights. This aspect is decisive for a people who have been isolated for a long time due to the actions of the current regime.

We want to see the obstacles to democracy erected by the Lukashenka regime fall.

This involves supporting civil society and independent media, including exiled journalists, assisting political prisoners and their families, and providing expertise in reform processes of legal and political systems.

There Council of Europe platform for the Safety of Journalists continues, through its partner organizations, to monitor the situation in Belarus. Its annual report published yesterday confirms that Belarus holds the sad record of the number of journalists in detention (38 at the end of 2023).

Looking ahead, we must work towards fundamentally important reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty, which will be crucial for Belarus to comply with European standards and which will constitute a symbolic turning point towards a more humane and more just society.

The contact group recently adopted an action plan including 15 targeted activities. These are not abstract ambitions, but immediately applicable measures to achieve concrete results. Together, we sow the seeds of real change.

Europe was not built in a day

It is important to note that, in this context, Belarusians who share these beliefs are considered partners ready to contribute to a common future.

They bring not only their willingness to invest in leading democratic reforms, but also their expertise in areas essential for the future of Europe, such as the regulation of artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability.

The best future we can hope for for Belarus is truly European, characterized by a commitment to the values ​​that define our modern continent and focused on the European Convention on Human Rights, which remains our gold standard.

The path to this democratic future, integrated into the European community and, ultimately, its institutions, will require courage, resilience and solidarity at the international level.

But this destination is indeed the right one for the Belarusian people. There he will find the stability, prosperity and freedom to which he rightly aspires.

We will get there together, step by step. Europe, any more than Rome, was not built in a day. We move forward, day after day, defending the values ​​that define us as a community built around human rights, the rule of law and democracy.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of the Belarusian opposition in exile, and Marija Pejčinović Burić is the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

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