The state is accumulating resources in anticipation of the presidential campaign

For the first time since March 2012, the election rating of President A. Lukashenko decreased and constituted 34.8% at the end of the year – in accordance with the December poll by IISEPS.

The drop in the president’s rating is due to the suspension of the policy of increasing incomes and social guarantees of the population in the second half of 2013. This year, the state tries to stabilize the economic situation in the country by way of seizing personal incomes and reducing the scope of social responsibility of the state. However, the Belarusian leadership hopes to go back to the policy of populism on the eve of presidential elections in 2015.