Former opposition MP Hanna Kanapackaja, the only presidential contender who does not openly support Alaksandar Łukašenka, has repurposed her 2020 manifesto for her 2025 campaign. In the updated version, she shifts her criticism from the “current government” to vague references to “external forces.”
Word cloud based on the 2025 platform
Word cloud based on 2020 platform
A Shift Away from Europe
Like her 2020 manifesto, the revised version contrasts two potential paths for Belarus: a positive and a negative one. In 2020, Kanapackaja accused the government of leading Belarusians down a detrimental path—marked by depopulation, degradation and self-isolation, surrounded by enemies. In 2025, she instead claims that “external forces” are attempting to guide Belarus down this same path.
Unlike the previous manifesto, Kanapackaja omits any mention of joining “the family of European peoples.” The word “European” is no longer part of her vision for the country she hopes to build after her potential victory.
Her updated manifesto now reads: “My program, ‘Belarus for People!’ is based on the principles of a democratic, sovereign social state, a state for the people and every individual living in it.” She also removed the statement that Belarus is “an integral part of European civilization” but added that she fully understands that “no one is waiting for Belarus in the European Union.”
Nevertheless, she promises to restore relationships with all partners, including EU member states and candidate countries.
No promises to sever ties with Russia
Kanapackaja’s 2025 platform signals a significant shift in her stance on Russia. In 2020, she promised to withdraw Belarus from the Union State and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, close Russian military facilities on Belarusian soil and force Moscow to reduce its military presence to zero.
In 2025, she asserts her opposition to Belarus’ incorporation into Russia, emphasizing that no one would benefit from such a move. “No one—neither Belarusians, nor Russians, nor Europeans—needs its incorporation into the Russian Federation,” she states.
Concerns about depopulation
In the revised manifesto, Kanapackaja highlights concerns about Belarus’ population decline, which has exceeded one million. In 2020, she blamed the government for this trend, while in 2025, she points to the broader period since Belarus gained independence.
She notes that tens of thousands of people have emigrated in recent years, seemingly referring to those fleeing political persecution. She blames the government—without naming it—for “the inability to cope with the current challenges,” which she claims has undermined Belarus’ reputation both globally and among its neighbors. However, she stops short of defining these challenges.
Political persecution
Kanapackaja has removed her earlier promise to “ban the use of the law enforcement agencies for political purposes and for combating dissent.”
Power transfer
Kanapackaja advocates for “a civilized, democratic transfer of power in our country without bloodshed.” She pledges immunity from prosecution for former heads of state and their families, as well as for top government officials and their families.
Parliamentary system
In the updated platform, Kanapackaja promises to hold a referendum on a parliamentary system for Belarus, replacing her 2020 proposal to modify the presidential system into a parliamentary-presidential one.
National symbols
Kanapackaja has removed the section from her 2020 platform that proposed restoring the Pahonia emblem and the red-white-red flag as national symbols. However, the platform now includes a commitment to honor “elements of historical memory without exception for nation-building periods” as part of Belarus’ national historical and cultural heritage.
Propaganda ignores pseudo-candidates
By Alaksiej Jakimovič The government’s propaganda apparatus has largely ignored Alaksandar Łukašenka’s presidential rivals, despite declarations of support for the long-time Belarusian ruler from all but one of the candidates. The contenders have had the opportunity to address the public …