Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has rejected the characterization of being labeled “Europe’s last dictator,” asserting that he is not a dictator. However, he added that even if he were, he certainly wouldn’t be the last. Lukashenko, who has held an iron grip on power since 1994, had previously embraced the notoriety of being called Europe’s last dictator in a 2012 Reuters interview.
When asked about this description and the potential future of Belarus after his rule, Lukashenko demanded an apology from the reporter for such a question. His opponents, many of whom are now abroad, accuse him of election rigging and compromising Belarus’s sovereignty by aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Lukashenko regards as his “elder brother.”
Lukashenko and his supporters deny allegations of election manipulation, asserting that the majority of voters genuinely support his leadership, especially during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. He also claimed that the number of prisoners in Belarus has significantly decreased during his tenure, from 50,000 to under 22,000.
Speculation surrounding Lukashenko’s health has persisted for months, particularly after he was seen being driven a short distance during the May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and later skipped a lunch hosted by Putin. As he concluded a 3 1/2-hour-long press meeting on Thursday, the robust leader exhibited a slight limp, attributing it to a soccer injury, and advised reporters to take care of themselves.
