Attempt to interpret economic development in Belarus: 
survival or alternative model? Cover Image

Kísérlet a belarusz gazdasági fejlődés értelmezésére: túlélés vagy alternatív modell?
Attempt to interpret economic development in Belarus: survival or alternative model?

Author(s): Dávid Karácsonyi
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Economy, Geography, Regional studies
Published by: Központi Statisztikai Hivatal
Keywords: Belarus; economic geography; regional geography; privatization; neoliberalism; development alternative

Summary/Abstract: Economic development of Belarus is very different compared to other post-socialist countries. It has not followed the neoliberal privatization/marketization model, the state still has a significant role in the country’s economy. The society has not faced a transformation recession, decline in living standards and increasing social gap specific to Central and Eastern European transition economies. The predicted economic collapse has not happened yet, moreover, during the 2000s Belarus was one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. The reason for that is very diverse, rooted in internal and external circumstances, ethnic, economic, geopolitical and social patterns of the country. Although the country has faced increasing number of risks and crises since 2010, they came from external causes, mainly because of the economic crisis in Russia. The country seems to react flexibly to these challenges.The author aims to interpret the Belarusian pathway firstly in the frame of global economic doctrines (neoliberalism and its criticism), secondly in the context of Central and Eastern European post-socialist economic transition, and thirdly in the light of the elements of the Belarus-specific framework. Statistical analysis using simple methods is added to the critical contrasting of different scientific views on the country. The study highlights al-so the latest trends in Belarus and the background of possible future scenarios.It is important to declare that this study is exclusively focusing on economy. The political and human rights issues have not been addressed.

  • Issue Year: 57/2017
  • Issue No: 06
  • Page Range: 608-638
  • Page Count: 31
  • Language: Hungarian