Belarusians want joining EU and new president

For the first time in many years most citizens of Belarus have said they prefer joining the European Union to integration with Russia. The majority also want Lukashenka to resign.

Independent sociologists from the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS) carried out a national poll. The questionnaires contain a question “Choosing between integration with Russia and joining the European Union, what would you choose?” Supporters of integration with Russia won before until this year. But the situation changed this autumn: the number of those who chose the EU (42.7%) exceeded the number of those who chose Russia (38.3%).

To a direct question “If a referendum on should Belarus join the European Union was held today, how would you vote?” 44.1% said “for” and 32.8% answered “against”. To a question “If a referendum on integration of Belarus and Russia was held, how would you vote?” 39.1% said “for” and 40.6% answered “against”.

The data on economic standing of the Belarusians are also impressive. To a question “How are you satisfied with current living conditions in Belarus?” 45% of the respondents answered “fully”, or rather not satisfied”, 36.9% think their material standing has “deteriorated” for last three months (only 10.9%said their economic condition has improved), almost 88% noticed “increase in prices for food, manufactured goods, housing, education, medical and other services” affects their life, and causes “concern and real shock” of 40% of the respondents.

The majority thinks “the main responsibility for deterioration of the economic situation in the country” lies on representatives of the authorities – on president (42.7%), the government (40.7%), the local authorities (24.1%), but not on external factors – on West (24.7%), Russia 7.9%), or the notorious mafia (5.4%). Almost 70% of the respondents don’t believe “we will live like in Europe by 2011”, on the contrary, more than 51% think it is “very possible” that the Belarusian ruble will be devalued, so they connect their hopes for economic development of the country with “attracting foreign resources” (47.8%), but not with president (37.8%) or the government (27.7%). Two thirds of the Belarusians “bought and sold foreign currency” not waiting for the promised “inflow of foreign investments”.

As a result, the majority of the respondents said they don’t want Alyaksandr Lukashenka to remain president of Belarus.

To a question “In your opinion, is Lukashenka good at coping with presidential duties to be elected for this office again, or it’s time to give the chance to someone else to perform these duties?” 50.2% answered “give a chance for someone new” (37.4% voted for reelection of Lukashenka).