Belarus is a single country, and the values of citizens are the same. What the results of the social survey say

A large-scale comprehensive republican sociological study, the first part of which was presented last week in Minsk, has become a real slice of the life of Belarusian society. Attitude to the world, preservation of historical memory, provision of quality food, social assistance and much more - all this was reflected in the survey of the population. The results obtained on the block of five socio-economic issues actually demonstrated the support and approval of the absolute majority of the Belarusian society in this area.

The expert community notes that the received palette of answers gives an opportunity to imagine what modern Belarusians live and how comfortable they feel in their native country, as well as to see and assess the scale of achievements.

“The large-scale social research of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Studies showed a very important and, I would say, correct trend, which analysts rightly called the rational diligence of Belarusians,” the director of the Mogilev Vedomosti news agency, a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Irina Petrusevich, draws attention to. The survey data showed that 57.2% of residents of the Mogilev region are clearly focused on making a lot of money, even if it requires a lot of hard work.

Irina Petrusevich emphasizes that the figures are an eloquent indicator that people are ready to take responsibility for the well-being of their families into their own hands:

- We do not have dependent moods, we do not ask the state for ready-made benefits – we want to provide for ourselves independently and we know how to do this. Belarusians are ready to invest their time and effort if they see a clear, measurable result of their labor in the form of decent wages.

According to the survey, 71.2% of respondents highly appreciate the overall level of socio-economic development of their settlement, and 82.6% of respondents said that they would not like to move to another settlement within the country. More than 70% of citizens associate their future with their home region and want their children and grandchildren to live there.

Chairman of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice Alexander Khizhnyak in the talk show “Water on Alfa Radio” stressed that the unwillingness of people to leave is the result of a consistent long-term state policy. After all, only rural settlements in the republic are more than 23 thousand:

- These communities have never been ignored. People’s moods are largely determined by the ability to live comfortably, build their own housing or have a cottage. This, in my opinion, suggests that we need to continue improving the system. And yet a basic set of services and comfortable living so people don’t feel the difference where they live will continue to drive this trend. At the same time, it should be noted that the younger generation is increasingly striving to build houses in rural areas.

More than 63% of respondents expressed a neutral attitude to attracting foreign labor migrants to the country, subject to strict compliance with Belarusian legislation.

- The rules of migration policy should be extremely transparent: a person comes exclusively to work. If the rules are violated, immediate deportation is required. The purpose of a migrant worker is to come and work. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly inform about why the employee arrived, how much he will earn, in what conditions he will live and when he will return to his homeland, said Alexander Khizhnyak.

Financial prosperity and confidence in the future directly affect the desire to create families and raise children. Thus, almost every second resident of the republic plans to have two, and about every sixth respondent firmly supports the trend of having many children, chooses a large and strong family.

- I was very pleased to note that in analyzing the results, almost no one said, “I don’t need to have children at all.” This is a very important moment, said Deputy Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Human Rights, National Relations and Media Irina Dovgalo.

The MP noted that these are not just words. Increasing the birth rate is a true fairway for the development of Belarus.

- Our ancestors said that the family is like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, but our roots remain one. Today, the state is doing a lot to financially support families with children, especially large ones, she said.