Morning Must-Read: Isabel Gorsk: Belarus Plans Serfdom

Isabel Gorsk: Belarus plans to bring back serfdom: “Alexander Lukashenko is living up to his reputation as Europe’s last remaining dictator…

…The president of Belarus has decided to bring back serfdom on farms in a bid to stop urban migration… prohibiting farm labourers from quitting their jobs and moving to the cities. “Yesterday, a decree was put on my table concerning–we are speaking bluntly–serfdom,” the Belarus leader told a meeting on Tuesday to discuss improvements to livestock farming, gazeta.ru reported. The serfdom decree would beef up the power of regional governors and “teach the peasants to work more efficiently,” Lukashenko said. Governors who failed to ensure timely and efficient harvests in their regions would get the sack, he added….Low agricultural wages and limited prospects have persuaded many farm workers to leave the countryside to seek opportunities in the cities or in neighbouring Russia…

June 3, 2014

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