Has Lukashenko's eldest son fallen into disgrace?

Another president has appeared in Belarus. Back in the nineties, Lukashenko forbade calling any positions in the country other than his own by this word. An exception was made only for the position of president of the National Olympic Committee, however, since this position was held by the same Lukashenko, he was not offended.

Lukashenko has headed the NOC since 1997, maintaining throughout this time the exclusive status of twice president. On Friday, February 26, Belarus became one more president – ​​Lukashenko’s eldest son, Viktor, became the head of the NOC. And the day before yesterday he was awarded the rank of reserve major general. Independent media reacted to this by competing for the most original headline and arguing that the mechanism of succession to the throne had been launched in the republic.

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But during his own election at a meeting of the Olympic Assembly, Viktor Lukashenko did not at all look like a happy heir. And, if you think about it, he had enough reasons to be in a bad mood. In essence, little has changed at the NOC. Lukashenko Jr. held the position of first vice-president there and for a long time already actually led the committee. The election only consolidated the existing status quo.

But a lot has changed in the status of Viktor Lukashenko himself. Having been elected president of the NOC, he lost his position as assistant to the president for national security, which he had held since 2005. Formally, this was explained by the fact that Lukashenko Jr. cannot combine leadership of the Olympic Committee with public service. But what then to do with the fact that Lukashenko Sr. led the NOC for almost 24 years, being the most important civil servant? In general, it is clear that the matter is dark.

As his father’s assistant for national security, Viktor Lukashenko’s position was obliged to coordinate the security forces, but after the elections, when the role of the security forces became decisive, he “disappeared from the radar” and practically did not appear in the media, did not make loud statements, did not run with armed with his father in front of the Palace of Independence, did not appear at propaganda car rallies, and practically did not appear on television. At the very time when, according to the logic of events, he should have been the center of attention, he disappeared.

Of course, he was not involved in any coordination of the actions of the security forces at that time. On the contrary, in the post-election period, the leadership of the security forces was completely replaced by new people who demonstrated their readiness to carry out absolutely any order. The role of the security forces in the Belarusian state has noticeably increased, but the mechanism of their coordination has been redrawn and is now completely tied to Lukashenko Sr. There was no place for Victor in this mechanism, and on February 26 this fact was formalized legally. “With all the ensuing circumstances,” as Alexander Grigorievich did not fail to note.

In the fall, persistent rumors circulated on Belarusian telegram channels about discord in the first family. It was said that Lukashenko’s sons and, first of all, Viktor did not support their father, who took an extremely tough position and relied on violence in relations with the opposition. Some even claimed that Victor convinced his father to negotiate and resign.

Whether this is true or not, of course, cannot be reliably known. Everything that concerns Lukashenko and his family in Belarus is a secret behind seven seals. And, as in Soviet-era Kremlinology, one can guess what is happening by indirect signs. And now these signs are very eloquent. The eldest son of the permanent president of Belarus, who for a long time topped the ratings of likely successors, lost an important government post, receiving in return the honorary, but practically non-political post of president of the National Olympic Committee and general's shoulder straps to boot.

It looks a lot like disgrace. Fatherly soft, beautifully furnished, but disgraced. From one of the most influential Belarusian officials, Viktor Lukashenko actually became a “wedding general.”