Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for 35 years in a ruthless dictatorship in Belarus.
Foreign AffairsBelarus
- Error detected
- The claim states Lukashenko has been in power for 35 years. In reality, he was inaugurated on 20 July 1994, giving him approximately 31 years and 11 months in power as of 17 June 2026 — roughly 32 years, not 35.
- Omissions
- The MEP rounded up the duration by approximately 3 years (from ~32 to 35), which overstates Lukashenko's time in power by nearly 10%.
- The BelTA source marking 32 years was published around July 2026, shortly after the session date of 17 June 2026; the MEP would not have had access to this exact article, though the underlying fact (inauguration on 20 July 1994) was well established long before the session.
- Sources
- PrimaryBelTA (Belarusian Telegraph Agency)The first-ever president's inauguration ceremony in Belarus took place on 20 July 1994. Exactly 32 years ago, Aleksandr Lukashenko, as the popularly elected head of state, took the oath in the Oval Hall of the Government House.
- SecondaryDeutsche Welle (DW)In 1994, Alexander Lukashenko was elected president in the first and last 'free and fair' elections to take place in Belarus. […] Belarus' strongman Alexander Lukashenko marked 30 years in power on Saturday [20 July 2024].
- SecondaryEncyclopædia BritannicaAlexander Lukashenko has maintained his position as the president of Belarus since 1994.