Talking about two different events with different pathos

Last week two events, affecting the relations between the European Union and Belarus, took place on one day.

At the office of the EU Delegation in Minsk, a round table was held, “The program of development of the European Dialogue on Modernization with Belarus" on October 17.

On the same day, representatives of the twelve opposition organizations signed an appeal to the EU to intensify its support for democratization in Belarus.

The EuroBelarus Information Service asked to comment on these two events the civil society representatives who participated in the round table.

Piotr Kuzniatsou, the head of the civil initiative “Gomel Democratic Forum”:

- The program of the modernization dialogue, proposed by the EU, is the medium-term, quite systems method of approach, apparently designed in such a way that partners would appear in the Belarusan society, able to promote this program as an idea, as something that may become the basis for the new European Belarus. And the people interested in it, are, of course, set on such a serious work. And if it works, then surely it will bear fruit, even if not immediate.

As to the Brussels’ statement, I am skeptical about it, at least because there are mostly deputies, second persons of the organizations in the list of signatories. This already indicates that the very appeal is not a very significant step for the opposition.

Its objective is meant rather to ensure that "well, dear EU, please do something, in order that we will live a more democratic way". This statement, to a lesser extent, is a partner one, but is largely pleading. Herewith, the Dialogue on Modernization is to a greater extent a partnership initiative, as the EU is looking for partners in the Belarusan society.

Yaraslau Bekish, member of the Steering Committee of the National Platform of the EaP CSF:

- The Dialogue on Modernization has certain potential. The round table that took place on October 17 was intended to implement this potential as it corresponds to that very wide framework, proposed by the European Union. The format of the Belarusan actors’, Belarusan civil society’s participation is being worked out in these broad European Union’s limits, in this modernization dialogue.

On the one hand, I know that the opposition structures are also involved in this process, although there were no their representatives at the round table, as I’ve understood.

On the other hand, I get astonished when in parallel with the modernization dialogue that is actually designed to improve the Belarusan relations with the European Union, such a statement is made, and thus I don’t get what the signing authors wanted to achieve by this appeal.

Following the statement, I found a lot of related jokes on the Internet. In particular, there were jokes also by some of the letter’s authors as whether Brussels was plenipotentiary to address the representatives of the Belarusan opposition to take action for the democratization of Belarus.

Indeed, the steps and the plan on modernization are expected from the Belarusan side, from us, - from the Belarusan opposition, the Belarusan civil society, even from the Belarusan regime. This can not be expected from Brussels. What more the EU should do to democratize Belarus?

I do not see any additional mechanisms, other than those already proposed. And these are the Eastern Partnership project and the European Dialogue on Modernization, and even these mechanisms haven’t been fulfilled yet by us. That is, if it was clear that we could not use them, then I would have understood the meaning of this statement. And since this all hasn’t been worked out, the statement seems to me weird and ironic.

Ulad Vialichka, chairman of the International Consortium "EuroBelarus”:

- Despite the fact that the causes for these events are different, however, the reason is the same; it is a kind of certainty of the European Union on the next steps in the Belarusan issue.

After the EU has commented on the Belarusan situation, giving its assessment of the so-called elections, and so on, it is expected that the activity of the European Union will be only increasing.

Statement of our politicians, made in Brussels, is correct in essence, but it carries no content. This is another call for Europe to intensify its activity that it is already doing quite regularly and professionally. Here is, in my view, the weakness of this statement.

At the same time, the round table held in Minsk was dedicated to the most relevant issue, which is currently on the agenda of the Belarusan-European relations, - the European Dialogue on Modernization. Quite specific shortages, benefits, achievements and prospects of the Dialogue were discussed, as well as participation of Belarus in it, and in particular, of the Belarusan civil society. The conversation was difficult, critical, but substantial at the same time. On the one hand, the discussion was about how to make the European Dialogue on Modernization more productive; on the other hand, how the Belarusan society can manage it, and take responsibility for what is happening within it, not just the European Commission offering its partner services.

In the above-mentioned appeal, I have not heard the politicians’ statement on the subjectivity. This is somehow similar to a thesis, "foreigners will help us". I understand all the weaknesses and difficulties of the Belarusan political sphere, where it is extremely difficult to rely only on your own resources. However, even that part of the work that should have been done, hasn’t been done to the end. In this sense, the pathos of these two events is quite different, though they are aimed at the same thing - at the Europeanization of Belarus. I wish that such statements were not so much of declarative as of activity character.