Authors

Discussion

Can an authoritarian state genuinely adopt and implement principles of good governance within its public administration? At first sight, the question appears paradoxical. Yet evidence indicates that authoritarian governments can, and frequently do, align themselves with the notion of “good governance”, particularly when international organisations promote related programmes and projects. Belarus, with its consolidating authoritarian regime, provides a valuable case through which to examine how a government may accept, adapt and utilise good governance principles for its own purposes.

This presentation explores the transformation of institutions and practices of good governance in Belarusian public administration as promoted by international organisations. During periods of relative liberalisation from 2008 to 2010 and from 2015 to 2020, Belarus introduced certain good governance practices. These innovations, however, were largely reversed following the mass protests of 2020, the subsequent political crisis, the government’s alignment with Russia in the war against Ukraine, and the imposition of the most severe Western sanctions in the country’s history. Nonetheless, despite these developments, international programmes aimed at promoting good governance have not entirely ceased and, in some cases, continue to this day.

The presentation first examines theoretical approaches to co-optation and their implications for understanding Belarus as a consolidating authoritarian regime. Drawing on original data, including 34 semi-structured interviews and a database of good governance projects implemented in Belarus between 2014 and 2025, it then considers how good governance has been operationalised in practice. Finally, it offers an empirical analysis of international programmes and projects supporting good governance in Belarusian public administration, comparing the periods before and after 2020. The presentation concludes by discussing the content of these programmes and the ways in which the Belarusian government has co-opted them to serve its own purposes.