Belarus: the causes of the current protests in Europe come from within and are not inspired from outside

The causes of the current protests in Europe come from within and are not inspired from without. This was stated to journalists by the press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Ruslan Varankov, answering a question about the situation with protests and actions of the authorities in Europe, writes sb.by.

Ruslan Varankov stressed:

- Let's look at the situation from the outside. Laws on mass events are everywhere - the question is how they are applied and evaluated. When bans, curfews and violent crackdowns are imposed in Europe, this is called an internal matter and a necessary measure. Just look at the map: in France – the death of a demonstrator and injuries of teenagers, in Italy – criminal liability for participation in an unauthorized gathering and detention of teenagers, in Spain – tear gas and rubber bullets, in Portugal – the dispersal of tent camps and arrests. All this is presented as an internal matter. But if similar tools are used in other countries, the rhetoric instantly changes to the opposite.

According to the press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, the reasons for the current protests – the cost of living, housing, underfunding of social services – are very strong, come from within and are not inspired from outside. He also drew attention to the imbalance in budget policy: military spending is growing faster than investments in the social sphere, and references to the mythical “threat from the east” do not convince society.

- European capitals present themselves as a standard of democracy, added Ruslan Varankov. The more curious it will be to see how they deal with these situations in accordance with the law and their own standards – including investigating every instance of excessive use of force and bringing those responsible to justice. We will continue to monitor the assessments of relevant international organizations, including the OSCE and OHCHR, counting on their objectivity, although experience gives rise to doubts about their non-partisanship.