BIAŁORUŚ I POLSKA

Abstract: The aim of the article is to compare the results of Belarus and Poland’s post-Communist transformation and to indicate the reasons for the two different paths followed. We hypothesize that both the historically shaped differences in mental models and strong ties with international protectors of these countries were the main elements that determined the paths of transformations. We also try to highlight the main differences in the mentality and the contemporary institutional matrix of the two countries. We modify the matrix by adding a new element – an external protector – which is critical, especially regarding these two countries. We use the tools and methods of new institutional economics in our analyses.

Abstract: The article explores the influence of informal institutions on the choice of the socio-economic development vector. The significance of informal institutions in the context of institutional transformation is provided. The difference in informal institutions between Poland and Belarus is also analyzed. Using the example of these two countries, the key importance of informal institutions in reforming the economy is demonstrated. 

Abstract: As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, an independent Belarus came into being, with a large Polish diaspora within its borders. Initially, the country embarked on a path of democratic and market reforms, and cooperation with Poland seemed promising. In 1994, Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election. From that point on, the authoritarianization of the political system and reversal of market reforms began. Poland and Belarus began to diverge in terms of their chosen political and economic systems and strategic foreign partners. It became increasingly difficult for Warsaw to “get along” with Minsk. The Polish diaspora became somewhat hostage to the international situation and the Belarusian dictator. This article presents the basic problems faced by the Polish diaspora in Belarus under Lukashenko’s rule in terms of preserving its national identity, culture, and language, and establishes prospects for further developments. We analyze current news (independent and regime), official Belarusian statistics, estimates from independent experts, and the (primarily Polish and Belarusian) literature on the subject. We present the genesis of the Polish diaspora and attempt to determine its current size. We demonstrate Poles’ changing situation under Lukashenko’s rule and his personal attitude toward the Polish minority. We highlight the special role of the Polish diaspora in the regime’s propaganda. We devote significant space to the issue of freedom of education in the Polish language as, in our opinion, one of the most important conditions for preserving national identity. We reference recent events triggered by the wave of mass public protests that followed the 2020 presidential election, which involved an escalation of the Lukashenko regime’s actions against the Polish diaspora. We hypothesize that the conditions for the functioning of the Polish diaspora are currently the worst since the establishment of the Belarusian state, and the continued persistence of such a situation seriously threatens the linguistic and cultural distinctiveness of Poles in Belarus.

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Artykuł przyjęty do druku w 2024 r.

Abstract: One of the modern areas of scientific research involves searching prerequisites for the formation and functioning of specific institutional models within countries. The purpose of the article is to identify and analyze the main institutional cycles in the formation of Belarus' socio-economic systems. This will help determine the effect of historical dependence on the trajectory of development and discover the origins of the country's modern institutional matrix. The novelty of the study of institutional cycles and their dynamics lies in its interdisciplinary nature. The author has adopted the theory within New Institutional Economics, particularly the achievements of North, Acemoglu, and Robinson. The research methods include a historical analysis and a comparative analysis. 

Abstract: The State of Belarus (a former Soviet republic) is classified as a pure autocracy, and 2024 will be the 30th anniversary of Lukashenko coming to power. He created a unique type of economy called ‘state capitalism’ that is synergistic with the political system. In this paper, we refer to the theories of Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson and consider what factors and institutions allowed Lukashenko to take power and ensure the durability of the authoritarian system. We found that Belarus deviates in some respects from Acemoglu and Robinson’s theory, particularly on two issues: the dictator’s rise to power and the factors that ensure the system’s persistence. We hypothesize that for the former, culture and mental models were crucial, while for the latter, the dictator’s external protector, Russia, was relevant. We use historical analysis and analysis of economic and institutional development indicators. 

Abstract: The aim of this article is to identify and evaluate institutional cycles in Poland’s history. The author analyses institutional cycles (periods with a permanent predominance of dominant institutions that determine the character of the entire political–economic system) and assesses them in terms of the predominance of inclusive or extractive political and economic institutions. The Polish lands lying at the edge of Western civilisation were in the orbit of the influence of the West and East. It adopted institutions from both sides and created its own original ones. In the end, Western institutions prevailed. However, over the course of Poland’s more than 1,000-year history, extractive institutions prevailed, making the country backward in relation to the West. The article applies theory derived from new institutional economics and historical analysis to explore Poland’s institutional cycles. 

Abstract: The aim of the article is to present the frequent and radical changes of formal institutions in Poland and present-day Belarus in 1939-1946, and to investigate how these changes influenced the shaping of informal institutions (mental models of people living in these areas). We hypothesise that these changes of formal institutions in terms of property, economic management (market vs. state) and money led to the formation of specific mental models of people living in these areas. Precarity has become an institution itself for them. This further influenced the mentality, especially in terms of politics, and is still evident in these countries today. We have adopted theory from New Institutional Economics, particularly the Douglass C. North’s concepts of formal and informal institutions and mental models. The research methods we adopted in our paper are historical analysis (archival sources, meta-analysis) and analysis of institutional indicators relating to contemporary Belarus and Poland.