Editing Alexander Lukashenko (section)

====Economy====
{{See also|Economy of Belarus}}
Lukashenko's early economic policies aimed to prevent issues that occurred in other [[post-Soviet states]], such as the establishment of [[oligarchy|oligarchic]] structures and mass unemployment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.president.gov.by/en/press10663.html |title=The official internet-portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus/State Policy |website=President.gov.by |date=11 May 1998 |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=5 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505004032/http://www.president.gov.by/en/press10663.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The unemployment rate for the country at the end of 2011 was at 0.6% of the population (of 6.86&nbsp;million eligible workers), a decrease from 1995, when unemployment was 2.9% with a working-eligible population of 5.24&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/indicators/labor.php |title=Labour |website=Belstat.gov.by |access-date=7 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011152228/http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/indicators/labor.php |archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> The per-capita [[gross national income]] rose from US$1,423 in 1993 to US$5,830 at the end of 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/country/belarus |title=Belarus: Data |publisher=World Bank |date=30 November 2012 |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=29 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229072259/http://data.worldbank.org/country/belarus |url-status=live }}</ref>

One major economic issue Lukashenko faced throughout his presidency was the value of the Belarusian ruble. For a time it was [[Fixed exchange-rate system|pegged]] to major foreign currencies, such as the [[euro]], US dollar and the [[Russian ruble]] in order to maintain the stability of the Belarusian ruble.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.belta.by/en/news/econom?id=235239 |title=National Bank to peg Belarusian ruble to foreign currency system in 2009 |website=Belta |date=17 June 2008 |access-date=9 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130219190847/http://news.belta.by/en/news/econom?id=235239 |archive-date=19 February 2013 }}</ref> Yet, the currency has experienced several periods of [[devaluation]]. A major devaluation took place in 2011 after the government announced that average salaries would increase to US$500.{{Explain|date=July 2019|reason=Relative to what and why is this relevant to a biographical entry rather than the country page}}{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} The 2011 devaluation was the largest on record for the past twenty years according to the World Bank.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/7391692.html |title=Ruble devaluation spreads panic among Belarusians |work=People's Daily |date=26 May 2011 |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714124407/http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/7391692.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Belarus also had to seek a bailout from international sources and, although it has received loans from China, loans from the IMF and other agencies depend on how Belarus reforms its economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-10/30/c_131938257.htm |title=Belarus eyes new IMF loans |agency=Xinhua News Agency |date=30 October 2012 |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=7 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107013609/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-10/30/c_131938257.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14706646 |title=RBS agrees to end work for Belarus |publisher=BBC |date=29 August 2011 |access-date=7 January 2013 |archive-date=1 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201224745/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14706646 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some critics of Lukashenko, including the opposition group [[Zubr (political organization)|Zubr]], use the term ''Lukashism'' to refer to the [[political system|political]] and [[economic system]] Lukashenko has implemented in Belarus.<ref>Potupa, Aleksandr (2 May 1997). [http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=19641&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=219 "Lukashism" has the potential to spread beyond Belarus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233849/http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=19641&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=219 |date=3 March 2016 }}. [[Prism (Jamestown)|Prism]], Volume: 3 Issue: 6.</ref> The term is also used more broadly to refer to an [[authoritarian]] ideology based on a [[cult of personality|cult of his personality]] and nostalgia for Soviet times among certain groups in Belarus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.open.by/belarus-now/cont/1998/1117/politics/bg5-pol.html |title=A museum to commemorate victims of communism |access-date=13 October 2007 |last=Dubina |first=Yuras |year=1998 |publisher=Belarus Now |quote=Belarusian MPs propose to dedicate a section in the future museum to Lukashism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928082144/http://www.open.by/belarus-now/cont/1998/1117/politics/bg5-pol.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zubr-belarus.com/english/index.php?show=oldpress/oldpress058 |title=Beware of Lukashism! |access-date=13 October 2007 |publisher=[[Zubr (political organization)|Zubr]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929011937/http://www.zubr-belarus.com/english/index.php?show=oldpress%2Foldpress058 |archive-date=29 September 2007|url-status=dead}}
</ref> <!-- there are more links in the history of [[Lukashism]] that can be used here if desired --> The [[United States Congress|US Congress]] sought to aid the opposition groups by passing the [[Belarus Democracy Act of 2004]] to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko's government and provide financial and other support to the opposition.<ref name="white house">{{cite web |url = https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041020-14.html |title = Statement on the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 |access-date = 13 October 2007 |author = Office of the Press secretary |date = 20 October 2004 |publisher = The White House |archive-date = 17 June 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090617014259/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/10/20041020-14.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

Lukashenko supporters argue that his rule spared Belarus the turmoil that beset many other former Soviet countries.<ref name="BelarusNewsAnalysis">{{cite web |url=http://www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews/032006/528.html |title=Belarus protesters go on trial as new rallies loom |access-date=13 October 2007 |last=Pavlov |first=Nikolai |date=27 March 2006|work=Belarus News and Analysis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009213507/http://www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews/032006/528.html |archive-date=9 October 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://chrissmith.house.gov/uploadedfiles/pl108347.pdf The Belarus Democracy Act of 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212043401/http://chrissmith.house.gov/uploadedfiles/pl108347.pdf |date=12 December 2012 }}. house.gov. 20 October 2004.</ref> Lukashenko commented on the criticism of him by saying: "I've been hearing these accusations for over 10&nbsp;years and we have got used to it. We are not going to answer them. I want to come from the premise that the elections in Belarus are held for ourselves. I am sure that it is the Belarusian people who are the masters in our state."<ref>{{cite news |title=Profile: Alexander Lukashenko |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3882843.stm |work=BBC News |date=9 January 2007 |access-date=13 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017084807/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3882843.stm |archive-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Global Finance (magazine)|Global Finance]]'' magazine listed Belarus as the 115th poorest country in the world in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ventura |first1=Luca |title=Poorest Countries in the World 2024 |url=https://gfmag.com/data/economic-data/poorest-country-in-the-world/ |website=[[Global Finance (magazine)|Global Finance]] |access-date=26 January 2025 |date=6 May 2024}}</ref>