Rysslands påverkan på den vitryska demokratiseringsprocessen
This thesis sets out to investigate three questions, first, how the Belarusian democratization process has progressed since the country?s independence in 1991 to the year of 2006. Second, how the relationship between Russia and Belarus has progressed during this time and third, if and how Russia has affected the democratization process. The study has been conducted through qualitative method, mainly using books and articles as sources of information. It has been found that the democratization process in Belarus has evolved in a negative direction ever since the presidential election of 1994. During the selected time-period, the Russian-Belarus relationship has come to include more and more areas of co-operation and a deeper integration within these areas. Russia has by its support of and to the Belarusian regime, through subsidised energy and economic investments, made it possible for the regime to continue with anti-democratic policies. Consequently Russia has indirectly affected the democratization process in a negative way.