John, it’s certainly a great thing to see Communists on the outs in Moldova. But while the Times has it right about Moldova’s being the “last ruling Communist party” in Europe, Belarus is still under the control of Putin pawn and longtime Communist Alexander Lukashenko. In the great tradition of other dictatorial leaders, Lukashenko continuously wins fraudulent elections. He remained a Communist until just after the fall of the Soviet Union, and then became a nominal independent. Lukashenko has since been “elected” president three times, all the while expanding his powers. He may no longer be a formal Communist, but he still runs a totalitarian government.
– Michael Warren, a Collegiate Network intern at National Review, studies economics and history at Vanderbilt University.