Belarus

Der Spiegel reports on the inauguration of Lukashenko held on Wednesday, 23 September. The ruler of Belarus, in power for the past 26 years, was sworn in earlier this week. However, the EU does not recognise this latest presidential term. High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, said that due to suspicions of “falsified results” during the election, the "so-called inauguration" lacks "any democratic legitimacy.” Furthermore, Borrell has called upon the Belarusian authorities to end violence against peaceful protestors and to release all those arrested in recent demonstrations. The election victory on August 9 is also rejected by the Belarusian opposition who concur that the election was overshadowed by fraud. In recent weeks, protestors demonstrating against Lukashenko’s presidency have often been  brutally dispersed by the police.

El Pais writes about the timetable of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tijanóvskaya’s recent visit to Brussels. On Monday, EU Foreign Ministers met  to discuss the situation in Belarus. Among other things, ministers considered personal sanctions against more than 40 Belarusian officials. However, leaders have yet to come to an agreement. Following the discussions, Josep Borrell said that he was “impressed by the courage and perseverance of the Belarusian people.” That afternoon, Tijanóvskaya addressed  the European Parliament and showed EU officials photos of people protesting and the injuries they sustained from the police. MEPs adopted a resolution last week rejecting the official results of the “so-called presidential elections” in Belarus. 

Slovenian newspaper Delo writes of Cyprus, the only Member State blocking sanctions against Belarus over the lack of sanctions against Turkey. By beginning searches  for gas and oil in the Mediterranean Sea, Ankara deepens disputes with Cyprus and Greece. Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides says that an EU response to violations of a Member States sovereign rights or fundamental values cannot be “à la carte" and should be consistent. Concerning Belarus, Slovenian Foreign Minister, Anže Logar, noted that Member States are increasingly more willing to include Lukashenko himself on the list of officials to be sanctioned. Member States are against sanctions to Turkey however, including Germany, fear that diplomatic relations between Europe and Turkey could be jeopardised. Cyprus’s ‘veto’ has re-opened discussions regarding unanimity voting in the European Council, an issue already touched upon by von der Leyen during her State of the Union speech.

Cyprus Mail reports on how the debate on Belarus is perceived in Cyprus. The decision to block sanctions against Belarus, on the condition that a European agreement on Turkey will be established, was welcomed almost unanimously in Cyprus’s parliament. Yet Cypriot opposition leader Andros Kyprianou has said that Cyprus has isolated itself. Moreover, he expressed regret that the debates with European Foreign Ministers were only about sanctions and not discussions with Turkey. A Cypriot government spokesman, on the other hand, said that Cyprus is not isolated, for they still agree on sanctions. On Tuesday, Turkish President Erdogan expressed his hope for a new impetus in Turkey-EU relations after the EU summit. He wishes to see an update on the customs union between Europe and Turkey, visa-free travel and migration.