Official announcements from the European Union or major news outlets reporting on sanctions

Lukashenko Wins Seventh Term with 87.6% as EU Rejects Belarus Election

Jan 26, 2025, 01:47 PM

Belarus held its presidential election on January 26, 2025, with incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko seeking his seventh term in office after more than 30 years in power. Early voting, which lasted five days from January 21 to 25, saw a turnout of 41.81%, according to the Central Election Commission. On the main voting day, polling stations opened across the country for 6.9 million registered voters, and voter turnout reportedly exceeded 85%. Exit polls indicated that Lukashenko secured an overwhelming victory with 87.6% of the vote. However, the election has been widely criticized by the opposition—whose figures are imprisoned or exiled—and international observers as illegitimate and a sham due to the absence of any real opposition candidates. The European Union's High Representative Kaja Kallas rejected the election results, stating they were neither free nor fair, and threatened new sanctions against Belarus. Lukashenko dismissed the criticism, stating that he does not care whether the West recognizes the election results, emphasizing that only the opinion of the Belarusian people matters to him.