Patriotism in the Political Discourse of the Union State of Belarus and Russia
https://doi.org/10.24833/2071-8160-2024-2-95-104-128
Abstract
The article delves into the nuanced challenge of crafting a cohesive unionwide patriotic agenda amidst escalating global tensions fueled, in part, by value conflicts. It scrutinizes the emergence of a patriotic discourse intricately woven into the institutional fabric of the Union State, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Belarus, primarily steered by top political leadership at the domestic level. The overarching aim is to delineate the enduring themes and prevailing narratives within the political elites' patriotic discourse within the Union State, while exploring its potential conceptualization as a coordinating discourse to further integration objectives and as a countermeasure of "anti-soft power" against external value threats emanating from the collective West. Methodologically, the study draws upon discursive neo-institutionalism, employing qualitative content analysis of speeches delivered by the respective presidents of the two countries as its primary analytical approach.
In the conclusions, the paper underscores the remarkable alignment between Russian and Belarusian stances on patriotic issues, particularly concerning their ideological underpinnings. Both underscore the imperative of safeguarding and preserving historical memory and traditional values as the cornerstone of their discourse. However, the analysis also sheds light on the conceptual complexities inherent in articulating sovereignty values by both participating countries. The practical implications underscore the necessity of further solidifying a shared socio-cultural space, harmonizing historical policies within both nations and within the Union State framework, and stimulating a "demand for integration" through the practical implementation of the principal directives outlined in the 2021 package of integration decisions.
Keywords
anti-soft power,
external challenges and threats,
historical memory,
patriotic agenda,
identity policy,
Russian-Belarusian integration,
Union State of Belarus and Russia,
traditional values
Supporting agencies: This work was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation, grant number 23-28- 00371, https://rscf.ru/project/23-28-00371/
About the Authors
O. V. Bakhlova
National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Olga V. Bakhlova – Dr. Sci. (Political Science), Professor at Department of General history, political science and area studies
Bolchevistskaja St., 68/1, Saransk, Russian Federation, 430005
I. V. Bakhlov
National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Igor V. Bakhlov – Dr. Sci. (Political Science), Head of Department of General history, political science and area studies
Bolchevistskaja St., 68/1, Saransk, Russian Federation, 430005
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For citations:
Bakhlova O.V., Bakhlov I.V. Patriotism in the Political Discourse of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. MGIMO Review of International Relations. 2024;17(2):104-128. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24833/2071-8160-2024-2-95-104-128
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