Despite its universal value, democracy is far from having won the battle of politics. Authoritarianism and non-respect of human rights continue to exist on all continents, including Europe, as the example of Belarus demonstrates. More than ever, the democratization of the world calls for comparison. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is a leading actor in favor of democracy in her country.

Speaker: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Leader of the democratic opposition in Belarus

Welcome: Mark Maloney, Acting Dean, Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA)

Chair: Christian Lequesne, Professeur, Sciences Po.

Professor and translator of English, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is Sergei Tikhanovsky's wife imprisoned for his opposition to the Belarus regime. Following her husband's arrest, she ran for the presidential election against Lukashenko. She contested the reelection of the Belarus president because of strong electoral fraud. She is now a refugee in Lithuania where she leads the Belarusian democratic opposition.