Alexander Lukashenko

Alexander Lukashenko
Александр Лукашенко Аляксандр Лукашэнка
Lukashenko in 2024
1st President of Belarus
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 July 1994[a]
Prime Minister	Vyacheslav Kebich Mikhail Chigir Sergey Ling Vladimir Yermoshin Gennady Novitsky Sergei Sidorsky Mikhail Myasnikovich Andrei Kobyakov Syarhey Rumas Roman Golovchenko Alexander Turchin
Preceded by	Myechyslaw Hryb (as Chairman of the Supreme Council)
1st Chairman of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 April 2024
Deputy	Aleksandr Kosinets
Preceded by	Office established
Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 January 2000
Chairman of the Council of Ministers	Vladimir Putin Mikhail Kasyanov Mikhail Fradkov Viktor Zubkov Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Mikhail Mishustin
General Secretary	Pavel Borodin Grigory Rapota Dmitry Mezentsev
Preceded by	Office established
Member of the Supreme Council of Belarus
In office 25 August 1991 – 20 July 1994
Personal details
Born	(1954-08-30) 30 August 1954 (age 70) Kopys, Vitebsk Oblast, Soviet Union
Political party	Independent (1992–present)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1979–1991) Communists for Democracy (1991–1992) Belaya Rus (2007–present)[b]
Spouse	Galina Zhelnerovich ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	Viktor Dmitry Nikolai
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Economist and collective farmer[3]
Signature
Website	president.gov.by/en/
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union Belarus
Branch/service	Soviet Border Troops Belarusian Armed Forces
Years of service	1975–1977 1980–1982 1994–present
Rank	Lieutenant colonel[4]

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko^[c][d] (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka;^[e] born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making him the current longest-serving European leader.^[6][7]

Before embarking on his political career, Lukashenko worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz) and served in both the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. In 1990, Lukashenko was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he assumed the position of head of the interim anti-corruption committee of the Supreme Council of Belarus. In 1994, he won the presidency in the country's inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.

Lukashenko opposed economic shock therapy during the 1990s post-Soviet transition, maintaining state ownership of key industries in Belarus. His supporters claim this spared Belarus from recessions as devastating as those in other post-Soviet states, whose political structures devolved into oligarchic crony capitalism. Lukashenko's maintenance of the socialist economic model is consistent with the retaining of Soviet-era symbolism, including the Russian language, coat of arms and national flag. These symbols were adopted after a controversial 1995 referendum.

Subsequent to the same referendum, Lukashenko acquired increased power, including the authority to dismiss the Supreme Council. Another referendum in 1996 further facilitated his consolidation of power. Lukashenko has since presided over an authoritarian government and has commonly been labeled as "Europe's last dictator".^[8] International monitors have not regarded Belarusian elections as free and fair, except for his initial win. The government suppresses opponents and limits media freedom.^[9] This has resulted in multiple Western governments imposing sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials.^[10] Lukashenko's contested victory in the 2020 presidential election preceded allegations of vote-rigging, amplifying anti-government protests, the largest seen during his rule.^[6] Consequently, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States ceased to recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus following the disputed election.^[11][12] However, Lukashenko managed to keep the hold on power in spite of the aforementioned countries' reaction, which eventually led to a resumption of partial diplomatic relations,^[13][14] as well as increased support from China,^[15] while his re-election in the 2025 presidential election was once more described as a sham.^[16][17]

Such isolation from parts of the West has, especially in the Putin era, increased his dependence on Russia, with whom Lukashenko had already maintained close ties despite past tensions, such as the so-called Milk War in 2009, stemming from Belarus' refusal to recognize the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in exchange for $500 million, in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War. Lukashenko played a crucial role in creating the Union State, enabling Belarusians and Russians to travel, work, and study unhindered between the two countries. He also reportedly played a crucial role in brokering a deal to end the Russian Wagner Group rebellion in 2023, allowing some Wagner soldiers into Belarus.^[18]

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