This publication is an annual integral analysis of the essential spheres of the state and society.
The year 2012 is the year of “inertial” post-crisis development of Belarus. The economic crisis as a form of painful remedy against the accumulated macroeconomic disproportions did not resolve the basic problems of the Belarusian socio-economic model, whereas the positive effects of the devaluation of the national currency were exhausted already in the first six months. Having no better strategy, the economic authorities returned to the “time-tested” policy of inflationary growth. All other critical tendencies that formed in 2010–2011 were curbed in the similar manner, i. e. by attempts to restore the previous situation.
The major trends of the year 2012 are the following:
- Institutional transformations: “narrowing of the state,” increasing role of the Presidential Administration and security agencies;
- Imbalances in state authority: uncoordinated actions of the Presidential Administration, the government and the National Bank;
- Crisis of the state policy that shows itself in failure to propose a minimal program of reforms and any program for the future whatsoever;
- Increasing foreign-policy and economic dependence of Belarus on Russia;
- Narrowing social obligations of the state;
- Stagnation of electoral ratings and indicators of confidence in the authorities;
- Return to the pre-crisis policy of increasing incomes, search for new sources of long-term growth;
- Reduction of able-bodied population, increased temporal labor migration, outflow of manpower.
Contributing to this Yearbook were independent analysts and experts, as well as specialists representing various think tanks, including the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS), the Institute for Political Studies Palityčnaja Sfiera (Political Sphere), the Research Center of the Institute for Privatization and Management, the Agency of Humanitarian Technologies, NOVAK Axiometrical Research Laboratory, the Belarusian Analytical Workshop (Warsaw, Poland), the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS), the Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center (BEROC), the Centre for Eastern Studies (Warsaw, Poland), the Polesski Fund of International and Regional Studies (Chernihiv, Ukraine), eBelarus Research Center, Agency for Social and Political Appraisal, the website of the expert community of Belarus Nashe Mnenie (Our opinion).
Download the Russian/Belarusian or English version of the Belarusian Yearbook-2012 in pdf format. The html and Epub versions will be available soon.