When Politics is by ‘the Leader’ in the Name of ‘the People’: Identity-Based Claims to Legitimacy in Autocratic Belarus

This analysis provides insights into the construction of identity-based legitimacy claims in the case of Belarus. It has been argued that hegemonic autocratic regimes in their legitimation strategies predominantly rely on identity-based claims to legitimacy (foundation myth, ideology, and personalism). In fact, explanations for Lukashenka’s resilience in Belarus have often included identity-based legitimation claims, such as the populist and personalist nature of the regime and the popular approval of the leadership’s ideological stand. However, the state ideology has not been extraordinary pronounced nor fully institutionalized as a political vision that defines the nature of the political community in Belarus. Some explanations have also observed that Belarusian people are politically apathetic and complicit in their behavior, supporting the ruling elites. But there is little known how the regime’s identity-based claims are reflected in people’s understanding of the state, power relations and governance. This paper explores three dimensions of identity-based legitimation claims: the official rhetoric of the state sovereignty narrative, discourses of the Belarusian state ideology, and discursive representations of Belarusian public administrations and the president in focus group discussions with ordinary Belarusians conducted in 2015. In this paper, I examine the relevance of the government's ideological strategies and their impact on people’s understanding of authority and governance.