BRUSSELS, August 9. / TASS /. The European Parliament’s largest faction, the conservative European People's Party (EPP), on Monday urged the EU to prepare a revolution in Belarus, noting that "the Belarusian regime will fall."
The EPP proposed to show readiness to "punish the regime" by imposing sanctions as well as to "support the ongoing struggle of the people of Belarus."
"The regime will fall and the victory of the Belarusian people is inevitable, it is only a question of time. The European Union must prepare for the victory of the democratic revolution," the faction’ leader Manfred Weber stated on Monday in Brussels ahead of the first anniversary of the last presidential elections in Belarus.
The deputies offered to implement the scenario of a change of power in Belarus similar to the Ukrainian one. Furthermore, they called for the prosecution of President Alexander Lukashenko and leading government authorities as part of "future democratic reforms."
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) mentioned that they supported "the plan for substantial economic assistance worth 3 bln euros, unveiled by the European Commission." However, the MEPs noted that the EU's efforts to change the government in Minsk should not be limited to financial initiatives. "Belarus will need not just money. It will require a comprehensive masterplan to support the adoption of democratic reforms on all levels of government, national, regional and local, which have to go hand in hand with deep economic reforms. The European Union is well equipped [for this task] thanks to the experience accumulated with the transitions in Central and Eastern European, and Western Balkan countries, and most recently in the three Eastern Partnership association countries (Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova)," the statement reads.
The MEPs also proposed, in order to inflame the protest moods, to expand work with Belarusian youth, providing them with the opportunity to study at the EU countries’ universities to promote the ideals of "freedom and democracy." Also, the deputies called on the international legitimization of the Belarusian opposition located abroad led by ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as well as to actively promote the work of opposition non-governmental organizations in the republic. "We will not rest our efforts until democracy is restored in Belarus," the MEPs concluded.