Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-08-Speech-3-123"
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"en.20081008.17.3-123"2
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"Madam President, today the fate of Belarus, a country of 10 million Europeans, is being weighed in the balance. We cannot stand by and watch this happen. Dictators like Lukashenko only give way under pressure. There is only one question: in which direction will this giving way take place? Since the economic key to the independence of Belarus is held by Russia, its constraints may end in Belarus losing its sovereignty. Pressure from the EU may be effective if Lukashenko has something to lose, and the EU something to offer. It seemed he would agree to changes, but the recent elections can hardly be termed anything other than a farce. The dictator’s fear and obstinacy may lead to a loss of sovereignty for Belarus.
Lukashenko does not have to lose out over the democratisation of Belarus if he enjoys a large amount of popular trust. These must, however, be real steps down the road to democracy, not just a put-on show, with the price paid by the Belarusian opposition. Despite the risk of a black scenario, the EU cannot accept this price. Let us not, however, break off the dialogue if the independence of this country is at stake. As Mr Milinkevich said today, the future of democracy in this country depends on whether it can maintain its independence."@en1
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