1 Young European Socialists ECOSY News Troonstraat 98 1050 Brussels Belgium March-April 2006 www.ecosy.org [email protected] ´The Full Monthlyµ 1 & ECOSY Update ³ Full Monthly´ 23 26 February and March 2006 2, 3 Belarus 4 Though February is a shortest month in the year and March is a News from ELYA 4 middle one, that is suspended Galaxy Europe between winter and spring, caus- Sexual and reproductive 5 ing in most of people a feeling of rights and EU priority! exhaustion, for us in ECOSY those two months have been not Ukrainian Democracy 6 only energetic, but also very Needs EU help 7 fruitful. From a Constitutional 8 holiday to concrete steps 9 For the ³Full Monthly´, go to page 23 French society backs it 9 youth opposition... Hungarian 10 Rhapsody 12 Similarities between 12 Bush and Islam 13 Young socialists look to 14 the future of Europe 15 Another Pride March banned, 16 another reason to rise up... The hope for Peace 17 18 Winter University 18 Final Declaration 21 Invitation 22 Feminist Seminar EU Summit announces new 27 goals on youth employment ECOSY 27 Spring collection 28 BELARUS2 Meanwhile, just across the border of the EU« By Magnus Barsøe Bennetzen Lukashenko¶s recipe Danish Social Democratic Youth (DSU) Lukashenko¶s holds the country by the throat. Though definitely a cruel dictator and borderline insane, he still A member of the DSU (Danish Social knows his political A-B-C. He knows how to feed the Democratic Youth) Belarus-delegation population with just the right combination of terror and gives his low-down on the situation in relative economic security to stay in power. His recipe is the country, and on the future primarily based on three ingredients. Firstly, he keeps the population in the dark. It is nearly impossible for the possibilities for freedom and democracy citizens to receive any valid and impartial information about the Belarus society in general or the outside world. There exists no free media and only a few people have access to the internet. It is more or less impossible to get internet access in your home, since the authorities must approve all applicants. This way no internet access is given to the common Belarussian. Secondly, the citizens of Belarus are dreading the consequences of public protesting. Demonstrations are dissolved violently and students get thrown out of their schools and public employees get fired, if they are seen protesting or involved in NGO¶s. Because Belarus has a planned economy, everybody is in the end linked to the public sector, and thereby employed by the state. This enhances the risk of being sacked if you protest. The third and last ingredient in Lukashenko¶s governmental cocktail is his understanding of the average citizens need for security in everyday life. By obtaining foreign loans and massive indirect economic support from Russia, the president has created a raise in real income. Unemployment is virtually zero, so again, here lays no reason to protest. A consequence hereof, is that a lot of citizens feel better of economically, and thereby lack the will to overthrow the government. They still see president Lukashenko as a stabilizing factor in and ever changing globalized world. Why risk it all, when things are getting slowly better? This is by far the most important factor Democracy in Belarus..? behind Lukashenko¶s power. Unfortunately this is also very hard to remedy for bystanders in Europe. This said, The first encounter with Belarus gives the there still is a strong urge for democratic reforms. Even guest a clear impression of a country more living in a soviet time capsule. It is interesting is neither tormented by absolute poverty ³The 50.000 dollar the active nor starvation, yet its citizens question is therefore: political fundamentally lack the opportunities youth¶s will to that we westerners treasure so dearly. What can we actually do collaborate Belarus holds no freedom of speech, no to stimulate freedom and despite free media, no prosperous career political options, and no real market for goods or differences. services of any kind. There are democracy in Belarus?´ Though definitely a lot of similarities between disagreeing on the situation in Ukraine before the Orange policy issues there seems to be an understanding, that Revolution and Belarus, but one thing reforms only get implemented if the current president stands out: the majority of the Belarussians receives clear resistance from a collective opposition. are not eager to start a revolution and fight The 50.000 dollar question is therefore: What can we for democracy. But why is that? actually do to stimulate freedom and democracy in Belarus? 3 As history clearly shows, no country can be forced to adapt democracy from the outside. The international society cannot push a nation to overthrow a president, which a large part of the population considers as B legitimately elected or as µa necessary evil¶. Instead we should invite Belarussians to study abroad, so they can see with their own eyes, that there exists a democratic alternative. In this way no persuasion is needed, since E western democracies offer all the possibilities that the dictatorship of Lukashenka does not. I therefore suggest that students across Europe put pressure on the To do list universities and national parliament to admit students from Belarus. The first big issue to be dealt with is Russia¶s role. Unfortunately legislation in several By selling cheap gas to Belarus, which L countries limits this possibility since Lukashenka then sells on the world market to Belarus is not an EU member state. three or four times the price, Russia is keeping the Rules of admittance varies form country financially above the surface. EU and USA country to country, but it is important have to put pressure on Russia to end this. to argue, that teaching the students However, this seems to be an impossible task. from Belarus gives the opportunity to Worth mentioning is also the fact, that only the spread democratic seeds in the Russian OSCE observers found, that the recently country, when they return. In this way, A held election complied with universally recognized democracy hopefully will rise from democratic standards. So the will to continue the within. I do not ask universities across support for the Belarusian regime Europe to appears relatively strong. Before any ³It is hard to understand brush away real pressure can be put on Russia, qualified we as citizens in Europe must create that having a dictator applicants just an atmosphere of attention towards roaming about in the because Belarus. We must clearly make our backyard of Europe does students from R voice heard. Most of the politicians and not even seem to stir any Belarus apply. media do not show any interest in the I simply ask to country whatsoever. It is hard to attention.³ take into understand that having a dictator consideration roaming about in the backyard of Europe does not that accepting students from the even seem to stir any attention. But at the country may serve a bigger purpose. moment, this seems to be the picture. Therefore The students expressed their there lies a responsibly amongst us all to create a U unwillingness to accept an fuzz about the country, and the actual terms which undemocratic election, and were the Belarussians are living under. We must protest punished for it. In this way we support to signal clear solidarity with the democratic forces them in their struggle. Even if this in Belarus. Last Friday DSU did just that by suggestion does not amend in demonstrating in front of the Russian embassy in positive action at European Copenhagen. As the demonstrators in Minsk universities, it still causes attention to forced snow and temperatures well below zero the democratic problems in Belarus. degrees, we tried to show a commitment to the S As chairman of the Social Democratic cause and protested for liberty in Belarus. We do student organization at Roskilde (continued) not know if our voices were heard at the October University I will raise the issue to the square, but we got through to the Danish media. university board. Hopefully the An important notion about the prospects for respond will be positive. democracy remains to be discussed. The future 4 There will be neither revolution www.galaxy-europe.net nor real democracy in Belarus in the near future. The current It´s often said that the Euro- B situation simply holds no pean Parliament is a lot like indication that such a massive Big brother, and then people unrest is about to take place. would usually refer to the TV Changes in this forecast can show, not the book. JEF, the only happen if destabilizing Young European Federalists, E economic incidents occur. If have just launched a website prices on gas drop dramatically making the similarities be- the nation¶s economy will be tween the Parliament and the undermined and the possibility Big Brother show a little big- of revolution will rise. However, ger again: Weekly popularity L a fall in gas prices does not votes! seem plausible, with a steadily rising demand across the globe. Unlike the TV show you will not The hope for Belarus therefore be able to vote anyone out, but lies in the long hard road instead you can vote for your towards democracy. This will favourite MEP. Each week the A take years. Hopefully the next contest is between four or five election in 2010 will end MEPS below 35-years-old. The Lukashenka¶s rein, after all, fact that each time all candi- history shows that dictators dates are all of different politi- comes with an expiry date.