Authors

Marta Jaroszewicz¹; Magdalena Lesińska¹; Kseniya Homel¹;  ¹ University of Warsaw, Poland

Discussion

In response to the escalation of authoritarian tendencies in Belarus and mass repression after the presidential elections in August 2020, the Belarusian diaspora de facto took on the role of the opposition, becoming a symbolic representation of the democratically oriented part of society (Jaroszewicz et al. 2022). Both the brutally suppressed democratic uprising, the subsequent emigration of a significant part of the opposition political elite, and the creation of the government in exile were critical moments that changed the trajectories of diaspora mobilisation, relations with the country of origin, and forms of activity. Another critical moment was the Russian aggression against Ukraine after February 24, 2022 and the support of the war by the official Belarusian authorities, which pushed the Belarusian diaspora towards adopting new political practices and gradual re-construction of the ideas connecting the diaspora. In addition to the functions of the democratic opposition, Belarusian leaders abroad also faced the dilemma of playing the role of the national liberation opposition as well as practical challenges that concern not only the functioning of political structures in the conditions of deepening authoritarian tendencies in the country of origin, but also maintaining the unity of the diaspora, updating goals and self-organisation in unfavorable geopolitical conditions.