Фото: t.me/tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the session “Holding the Line of Democratic Resilience” at the GLOBSEC forum in Prague. The discussion focused on strengthening social cohesion, trust in institutions and the role of civil society under pressure.
Responding to a question about the main threats to democracy, Tsikhanouskaya said that the danger comes not only from authoritarian regimes abroad but also from within societies themselves.
“Many people think that threats to democracy usually come from authoritarian regimes, from somewhere outside. But I think people also have to take responsibility themselves. People simply start enjoying democracy and forget that they must defend it every day.”, she said.
According to her, people in other countries should seek to contribute to the development of democracy.
“No truly democratic society, where everyone feels responsibility, can be destroyed from outside.”, the politician stressed.
She also shared experiences of self-organisation in conditions where state institutions cease to function. The leader of the democratic forces recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, state institutions in Belarus did not work to help people and ordinary citizens organised themselves to support one another. The same happened during the 2020 election campaign, when Belarusians, media, civil society organisations and businesses once again united.
“That is why I always say that first and foremost we must invest in people, in their education, so they understand their responsibility. And that is why, when I ask for support for our democratic movement, I ask people to invest in those who truly want to build a democratic society. Because sooner or later, we will win.”, Tsikhanouskaya concluded.
Participants in the session also included First Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Glauk Konjufca, BBC correspondent Rob Cameron, Editor-in-Chief of Seznam Zprávy Robert Čásenský, University of Georgia professor Cas Mudde, and Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations Mark Leonard.