On August 15, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus revealed how his presidential philosophy was forged during a trip to Polesie region. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Call of Polesie festival, he recounted an anecdote from the 1990s: manually mowing floodplains along the Pripyat River with local residents.
“That mowing in the 1990s in many ways predetermined my presidential credo—to speak openly, directly, face to face with the people and do everything for their benefit,” Lukashenko stated. He added that during his early visits as head of state, the Poleshuki (the indigenous population of Polesie) took him “for their own,” forming in him a leadership approach centered on direct engagement with citizens.
Separately, Lukashenko recently dismissed claims that he would transfer power to his children, labeling such assertions “complete fools” during a visit to an agricultural enterprise in Zhitkovichi district on August 14. Earlier this month, the president also emphasized that Belarus has many “smart people” capable of leading the nation, insisting that the future leader will be elected by the people.
