The People’s Assembly, something akin to a senate, will become a body with constitutional powers and not just a consultative one. It will absorb some of the powers of the president, preparing ground for a life without Lukashenko in Belarus, and to despair of western experts, looks awfully similar to Soviet Union’s Central Committee or China’s National People Congress.

It is of course a reaction to the attempted coup in 2020, which has backfired in moving Belarus further away from liberalism. Western think tanks, which I will not link here for the sake of hygiene, are criticizing the “left wing populist” tone of the government, which has as priorities reducing living costs and taxing the rich. And in general have a very defeatist tone as they recognize the government has hardened its grip and it will be hard to repeat what they tried in 2020. The opposition will most likely boycott the parliament, people’s assembly and presidential elections instead of trying to win them.