What is the situation in Belarus after the presidential election in August 2020? What role does civil society play in the democratisation process? Yvonne Braun talks to two Eurasia Lab Fellows who tell us how they experienced the protests after the election, give an outlook on how developments in Belarus could continue and what opportunities they see for the path to democracy.
Dr Vasil Navumau is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (Bochum) and a civil society activist. He is the author of a monograph and various publications on protest movements in Belarus and Russian disinformation in Belarus.
Dr Olga Matveieva is Associate Professor at the Institute for Public Administration. Her research interests include e-governance, contentious politics, gender issues and global challenges for public administration systems.
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The IEP podcast series “Eurasia on the Move” provides insights into current political and social developments in the countries of Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe. The podcast series discusses current developments in the Eurasian region with regard to democratisation, the rule of law, civil society and human rights. The content is tailored to researchers and non-experts alike. Eurasia Lab Fellows share their personal experience and knowledge of the dynamics in the region and their importance for the European Union’s relations with these countries. The scientists are currently working on a research project that analyses the developments affecting the region. In the podcast, they explain their project goals and methods, present initial results and give other researchers practical tips.
The countries of the Eurasian region are currently experiencing transformative political and socio-economic developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, political conflicts, the fight against corruption and the engagement of civil society actors. The IEP aims to network researchers working on these issues, to promote understanding of these processes and to strengthen the EU’s relations with these countries.