Article published in the Chronicle "People" of the newspaper Le Soir July 27, 2010
He was one of the most faithful allies of Moscow. But the vagaries of the Belarusian President begin to irritate the Kremlin, which seeks to quietly eject from power. First step: the media war. In early July, the Russian channel NTV broadcast a documentary on the compromise "Batka" ("little father"), in power since 1993 in its former Soviet republic. The film recalls in particular the disappearance of opponents of Belarus in the late 90s. Nothing new in the charges, except that they are broadcast on Russian TV tightly controlled by the Kremlin.
Lukashenko did not take long to understand the signal. But far from wanting to calm things down, the fiery president authoritarian response. A few days later, a government newspaper includes excerpts from an old pamphlet from the opposition on the shenanigans of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. July 15, Lukashenko hit even harder: Belarusian state television broadcast a primetime interview the Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili. The bane of Moscow the opportunity to launch his usual diatribe against the Kremlin.
relations between Minsk and Moscow are at their lowest. Month last, Russia has called for a gas debt of 187 million. Lukashenko responded by demanding payment of $ 260 million for transit of Russian gas destined for Europe. Lukashenko has tried to get closer to the West, but the very Soviet former collective farm manager is unable to shed its image of "last dictator in Europe" in Brussels and Washington.
On the horizon: the next presidential election in Belarus, not later than early 2011. If the Kremlin joins Europe to denounce another fraudulent victory of Lukashenko, his days as president could be counted ...
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