A Belarusian House of Cards

In the early stages of the system transformation, the division of the Belarusian political elite into the ruling-elite and counter-elite wasmore symbolic than a reflection of reality. Today, both demonstrate the features of the Homo post‑Sovieticus, fitting into the post-Soviet model of political culture. However, while Lukashenka’s transformation and authoritarian modernisation have gained public support, the model promoted by the counter-elite has proved ineffective.