social state

Paradoxes of the Pension Reform in Belarus

On 25 March 2016, president Lukashenka confirmed his support for the gradual 3 year increase of the retirement age, currently at 55 years for women and 60 years for men. The government had been discussing the pension reform in the...

9 April 2015

Social Progress in Belarus: Self-Perception versus Reality

The Belarusian government and Western analysts tend to agree about one thing: Belarus is a social state. Belarus may not be a wealthy country, Alexander Lukashenka likes to say, but it is a state that serves ordinary people. Yet...