International Dimensions of Authoritarian Rule. Tracing the Links between Authoritarian Cooperation and Legitimation: Insights from the Belarusian Case 1994-2016

This thesis investigates the links between authoritarian cooperation and domestic regime legitimation as a major sub-dimension of authoritarianism. Using a qualitative case study approach, these mechanisms are examined by tracing how cooperation between Belarus and Russia in the spheres of politics, economy and military from 1994 to 2016 affected legitimation sources and strategies of the Belarusian regime. Thereby, the thesis aims to contribute to the evolving debate on external influences on authoritarian stability and to the reincorporation of legitimation in the study of non-democratic regimes. One of the thesis’ key insights is that authoritarian cooperation constitutes a form of international influence that can both reinforce and undermine different legitimatory dimensions of an authoritarian regime. The findings further confirm the two-level logic of external and domestic legitimation strategies.