Belarussian Opposition Leader Praises Roberta Metsola: ‘With Friends Like Her, I Know We Will Win’
After being honoured with the Charlemagne Prize for European unification, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya had words of praise for European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
“My heartfelt thanks to Roberta for her strong words and commitment to Belarus,” Tikhanovskaya said. “With friends like her, I know that we will win.”
Tikhanovskaya contested the 2020 Belarusian presidential election after her husband, vlogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, was arrested, and she won just over 10% of the vote, with incumbent Alexander Lukashenko sweeping home 81.5%.
However, the election was marred by claims of widespread fraud including by Tikhanovskaya, and the EU condemned the process as “fraudulent”.
The EU imposed sanctions on Belarus following a crackdown on protestors and expanded its sanction package following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
My heartfelt thanks to Roberta for her strong words & commitment to Belarus. With friends like her, I know that we will win! https://t.co/ZN2yTBhOPL
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 26, 2022
Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tikhanovskaya, who is currently living in exile, was today granted the Charlemagne Prize along with pro-democracy activists Veronica Tsepkalo and Maria Kalesnikava.
Metsola attended the ceremony in Aachen, Germany, and praised the three laureates for “showing incredible leadership, courage and strength”.
I am not asking you to come and win for us. But I do ask you to keep the focus on Belarus. New arrests take place every day, even as I spoke in Aachen. Today, the parents of an opera singer were arrested. A blogger’s apartment was searched. #karlspreis2022 #StandWithBelarus pic.twitter.com/oybOEzX2zg
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 26, 2022
“They have paid the price for standing up for freedom and democracy in Belarus and they stand tall,” she said. “Europe stands with them. Belarus will be free.”
Metsola, a Maltese MEP, has long been a critic of Lukashenko and in the Lovin Malta documentary ‘The First Vice’, she revealed that one of her first dates with her husband-to-be Ukko was actually a protest in Helsinki against the Belarussian President.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Do you think Tikhanovskaya was a worthy winner of the Charlemagne Prize?