Belarus' Lukashenko not legitimate President, says EU

The so-called 'inauguration' ... and the new mandate claimed by Aleksander Lukashenko lack any democratic legitimacy, the EU's 27 states said in a statement.

Protesters block a police bus during an opposition rally to protest against the presidential inauguration in Minsk, on September 23, 2020.

President Alexander Lukashenko is not the legitimate president of Belarus, the European Union said on Thursday, saying his abrupt swearing-in on Wednesday went directly against the will of the people.

“The so-called 'inauguration' ... and the new mandate claimed by Aleksander Lukashenko lack any democratic legitimacy,” the EU's 27 states said in a statement.

“This 'inauguration' directly contradicts the will of large parts of the Belarusian population, as expressed in numerous, unprecedented and peaceful protests since the elections, and serves to only further deepen the political crisis in Belarus.”