Belarus – Presidential Election on January 26 (25 January 2025)
France will be closely monitoring the presidential election to be held on January 26 in Belarus.
On the basis of all the information at its disposal, France believes that this election will not meet democratic standards. The unprecedented level of repression, human rights violations, restrictions on participation in political life, and limited access to independent media deprive this election of any legitimacy.
France regrets that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly received a late invitation to observe the election, which reflects the authorities’ lack of genuine willingness to allow them to observe the electoral process.