The head of external relations of the EU, Josep Borrell, announced the President of Belarus A.G.
Lukashenka is illegitimate.
The fact that many people (and not only in the EU) dislike Lukashenka is an undoubted fact.
He's not a gold piece to be nice to everyone.
The fact that sanctions may be imposed on the Belarusian regime by the European Union is very likely, and Borrell himself said about this: “We accept sanctions.
Many who participated in the repression will be subject to these sanctions.
We are studying this issue in the Council, we want to adopt sanctions as soon as possible - before the European Council.
If the situation continues to worsen, additional sanctions may be imposed. ”
Moreover, small but proud Baltic leaders who are always ready to run ahead of the locomotive are ready to punish Lukashenka.
Which is quite understandable.
In Minsk, there was a bitty bitty thing (the fact that in Paris, too, it can be quite bitty, should not be taken into account - this is a completely different matter), which is not correct and offends good taste.
In addition, A.G.
Lukashenko, unlike, for example, V.F.
Yanukovych in 2014, began to play against the rules, that is, to snap back.
And on this score, there is an old French rhyme:
“Cet animal est très méchant.
Quand on l'attaque il se defend "
("This animal is very vicious, when attacked, it defends itself").
If we add to this that in recent years, sanctions from the light hand of the United States have become extremely fashionable ("So that the first victims do not bleed in vain, the ax rises to blows again"), then the sanctioned ax was guaranteed to Alexander Grigorievich.
Moreover, in the situation there is no time for fat, if I would live, he forgot about the richness of vectors and hastened to resort to the patronage of V.V.
Putin, which in itself is the people's embarrassment, the most heinous crime among all, worthy of the most severe sanctions.
All this does not explain, however, what does legitimacy have to do with it.
For the use of this concept in international relations is a typical case of persecution on a vaguely defined basis: for Power "A" Lukashenko is legitimate, for Power "B" - illegitimate, both powers are in their own right, and what would you order to do with this difference?
If we are talking about a diplomatic break with the Belarusian (and not only Belarusian) regime, then this can always be done.
No one has the right to force a sovereign power, as well as an alliance of sovereign powers (the EU seems to be it), to maintain relations with a country that for some reason they do not like.
The USSR broke off diplomatic relations with Chile after the 1973 coup, and even broke off with Israel twice - in 1953 and 1967.
Moreover, if in Chile there was at least a formal reason - Pinochet's pronunciamento, then in the case of Israel it was not.
It's just that his policy at some point seemed to the USSR incompatible with the maintenance of diplomatic relations.
There is another reason - the loss of control over your territory, after which it becomes unclear who to ask.
But this does not apply to Lukashenka yet.
Maybe not very tender and sweet, but he completely controls the territory of Belarus.
But then it is not clear why the regime should be declared illegitimate at all.
The experience of the USSR (and not only the USSR) shows that relations can be broken off simply by the principle “Well, I don’t like you”.
Moreover, it is much more practical to do so - when the EU likes Lukashenka again, relations can be restored without any special explanations.
Whereas after the terrible words about illegitimacy, you will have to push hard to explain where the lost legitimacy came from again.
The same Borrell, of course, can then say that Lukashenka was touched by his heart and again legitimate, but why are these unnecessary difficulties?
After all, everything is in your hands.
If you want to curtail (or even break off) political and economic relations with Minsk in every possible way - this is in your power.
Do you want to put to shame V.V.
Putin with his loan to A.G.
Lukashenko in the amount of $ 1.5 billion, giving Tikhanovskaya, as she asks, as much as $ 4 billion - well, give it, the Europeans will be happy without memory.
Were going to seriously overthrow the Belarusian president - well, overthrow.
It just has nothing to do with legitimacy, democracy, human rights and other excellent words.
Ordinary Machtpolitik - now and ever, and forever and ever.
And there, as the cards will lay down.
Machtpolitik is a piece with an unpredictable outcome.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.