'Europe's last dictator': Belarus election set to extend Lukashenko's 30-year rule

Belarusians will vote on Sunday in a presidential election that is all but certain to see President Alexander Lukashenko win a seventh term.

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00:00The presidential election in Belarus on Sunday will likely extend the 30-year rule of Alexander

00:07Lukashenko, who has been dubbed as Europe's last dictator.

00:12With many of his political opponents either jailed or exiled abroad, Lukashenko is expected

00:17to enter his seventh term.

00:20When it comes to the elections in Belarus, this is an exercise that is totally undemocratic,

00:29the elections are a total sham, and they are not elections when you already know who

00:34will win.

00:35On our side, what I can tell you, the EU is continuing to support the Belarusian people.

00:44We're also continuing to put pressure on the regime.

00:49In the previous election in 2020, Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80% of the vote.

00:55The outcome was met with accusations of fraud and months of massive protests, which in turn

01:00were severely repressed by authorities.

01:04In an attempt to avoid unrest taking place again, Lukashenko moved the timing of the

01:092025 elections from August to January.

01:12The cold temperatures are meant to discourage demonstrators from filling the streets.