The Youth Christian Social Union – Young Democrats, often shortened to the YCSU Young Democrats () is a

Christian democratic Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...

youth organisation from

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

. Since 2004 the YCSU has been a member of the

Youth of the European People's Party Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP) is an umbrella organization of European political youth organisations and is the official youth wing of the European People's Party. YEPP brings together 64 centre-right youth political organisations fr ...

, an

umbrella organization An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and iden ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an political youth organisations that is the official youth wing of the

European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian democracy, Christian democratic, liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative, and conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other p ...

. The YEPP brings together over 54 centre-right youth political organisations from over 35 countries across Europe and is considered to be the largest political youth organisation in Europe. The YCSU Young Democrats was admitted as an observer member of the European Christian Political Youth Network in 2004.

History

The Youth Christian Social Union was founded in 1997 and officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of Belarus from 1998 until 2003. On the eve of the 2004 parliamentary elections, it lost its legal status when the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

decided to liquidate the YCSU Young Democrats based on the suit of the Ministry of Justice. The main reason was that members began campaigning for opposition candidates and undertaking street actions. In 2002, the Youth Christian Social Union merged with the Youth of the United Civil Party of Belarus and a new brand YCSU Young Democrats was created. From 2002 to 2008, the YCSU Young Democrats was cooperating with the United Civil Party of Belarus, but at the last congress the decision was taken to become independent. Some members who did not support the decision left the group and stayed in the UCP Youth. At a congress in 2009, the group supported

Alaksandar Milinkievič Alaksandar Uładzimieravič Milinkievič (, , born 25 July 1947) is a Belarusian politician. He was nominated by the leading opposition parties in Belarus to run against incumbent Alexander Lukashenko in the 2006 presidential election. Biography ...

as a candidate for the forthcoming elections, YSCU Young Democrats made one more attempt to gain legal status, but the Ministry of Justice declined, supported by the

Political activities

Independent observation over the 2000 parliamentary elections under the aegis of the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...

. The YCSU supported the decision of majority of democratic organizations to take an active part in campaign of boycott of the unfree and undemocratic "parliamentary elections". At the time of the 2001 presidential elections in Belarus, the YCSU formed a "Peramenaw!" (For Changes) coalition with other youth organisations, including Young Front, the Association of Belarusian Students, the Association of Young Entrepreneurs, Young Hramada, the UCP Youth, the Belarusian Association of Young Politicians. YSCU activists took part in work in headquarters, independent observation and mobilization campaigns. YSCU supported Alaksandar Jarošuk and Uładzimier Hančaryk. The took active participation in the 2003 local elections (as candidates, volunteers and managers). Members of the organization served as deputies of local councils in cities including

Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...

and

Rogachev Rahachow or Rogachev (, ; ; ; , ) is a town in Gomel Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Rahachow District. Rahachow is located between the Drut and Dnieper rivers. As of 2025, it has a population of 31,490. History The ...

. During the 2006 presidential elections the YCSU Young Democrats supported

as an opposition candidate. After the election results were broadcast, the YCSU Young Democrats took an active part in the

Jeans Revolution The Jeans Revolution (, transliteration: ''Džynsavaja revalucyja'', ) was a term used by Belarus' democratic opposition to describe its protests following the 2006 Belarusian presidential election. Etymology The Jeans Revolution was also re ...

. Ten members of the YCSU Young Democrats were arrested when police attacked the tent camp erected on October Square in Minsk. In the 2008 parliamentary elections the YCSU Young Democrats had three candidates in the united list of 110 opposition candidates, Alaksandar Šumkievič in Maładziečna, Hanna Jahorava in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, Artur Curbakoŭ in

Homiel Gomel (, ) or Homyel (, ) is a city in south-eastern Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Gomel Region and Gomel District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it is the second-largest city in ...

. According to the official results the opposition parties failed to gain any seats, all of which went to parties and non-partisan candidates loyal to president

Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making hi ...

. Alaksandar Šumkievič received 5,566 votes, 10.39% of all votes in Maładziečna The YCSU Young Democrats was among the founders of Belarusian Independence Bloc in 2009. Numerous activists of the YCSU Young Democrats have been arrested and imprisoned by Belarusian police and

secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...

for their political activities.
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Board

Current board

* Chairman: Alaksandar Šumkievič * Deputy Chairman: Artur Curbakoŭ * International Secretary: Alaksandar Kuŭšynaŭ

Previous leaders

* Kirył Ihnacik * Uładzimier Čyrvonienka * Andrej Kazakievič

References

{{Belarusian political parties 1997 establishments in Belarus Belarusian opposition Christian democratic parties in Europe Youth wings of pan-European political parties Conservative parties in Belarus European Christian Political Party European People's Party Political parties established in 1997 Political parties in Belarus Youth organizations based in Belarus