Zmitser Bandarenka: “It’s time to choose: Russia or Europe”

“It’s time to choose: or affiliation to Russia as a whole country or as seven regions (that was said by Russian government and president Putin)), or joining the family of the European nations,” Zmitser Bandarenka, coordinator of Charter’97 and member of the organising committee of the civil campaign “European Belarus,” said in the interview to Voice of America Russian Service.

Alex Campbell: More and more proofs appear over the last time that the majority of Belarusians stands for the integration with the united Europe. The results of the recent opinion poll say it, and surprising for the authorities results of a TV poll that showed a considerable part of the Belarus’s population stands for rapprochement with Europe.

You are one of the initiators of the civil campaign, its objective being giving impact to the authorities to real steps in this direction. How did this idea appear and how do you see the further strategy of the civil society?

Zmitser Bandarenka: The leadership of the European Union addressed the Belarus’s government and people with a statement containing 12 offers, fulfilment of which would allow Belarus to use benefits from the European Neighbourhood Policy.

As it is known, the Belarusian authorities didn’t respond the offers of the European Commission, but the Belarusian civil society heard the proposals and its first reaction was campaign of organising the European March, held last autumn. The organisers, including me, declared it wouldn’t be a single event, and this European campaign would go on.

This January a number of famous Belarusian politicians and public figures suggested to carry out a mass civil campaign titled European Belarus. The initiators are Andrei Sannikov, international coordinator of Charter’97; Mikhail Marynich, former political prisoner and former minister of foreign economy; Viktar Ivashkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front party; and Mikola Statkevich, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” and former political prisoner. This idea was supported by youth organisations, a number of famous figures of culture, among them actors and theatre directors of the Free Theatre, representatives of political parties.

How did supporters of the movement “For Freedom!” headed by Milinkevich perceive this initiative?

Z. B. : We discussed it with Alyaksandr Milinkevich. He certainly stands for the European integration. But they are conducting campaign for free election and want to concentrate on this campaign. I think we will cooperate, because the campaign European Belarus is not a political bloc or an electoral coalition; its objective is promotion of European values and ideas among the Belarusian society, as well as demonstration of the European choice of the Belarusian people.

A. C. : What plans do you have for the nearest future?

Z. B. : Our objectives determine forms of our activity: spreading information about benefits from cooperation between Belarus and the European Union via the Internet, booklets, newspapers, leaflets, campaign of vote collecting for the idea of Belarus’s joining the EU. We plan to collect many votes and sent them to the EU leadership. We will also address the Belarusian authorities and call them to respond the proposals of the European Commission.

A. C. : People, familiar with the history of Belarus, watching the present political situation in the country, find obvious the ambiguousness of the geopolitical intentions of the population. From the one hand, a considerable part of the population supports the idea of Belarus’s integration to Europe. But at the same time (though it depends of who conducts research and formulates questions), a part of the population stands for integration with Russia. How do you explain this ambiguous situation?

Z. B. : It’s reality. As it is known, Belarus was the most Russified country among other republics of the former Soviet Union. National identity of Belarusians wasn’t developed enough. One may say, there were little people in 1970s who knew Belarusian language and history well. In this sense we were behind their neighbours.

Today, though the dictatorship has strengthened, growth of national consciousness is obvious. And the authorities have to take into account the opinion of the people, that is why they held a pompous campaign “For independent Belarus!”, finished with a concert in Minsk, where 300-500 thousands of people were present. Growth of national identity is a fact. The Belarusians today are not the “soviet Belarusians” they were before. There are many Catholics and Protestants in Belarus, these churches confess European values. Of course, Russia is our neighbour, there are many cross marriages in Belarus, it is the reality.

But it’s time to choose: or affiliation to Russia as a whole country or as seven regions (that was said by Russian government and president Putin)), or joining the family of the European nations. Belarus is an average European country from the point of view of square and population. It ranks №13 or 14 according to these rating. One of our aims is to contribute to public discussion, even in conditions of dictatorship, on perspective of the nation and development of our state.