And what would probably be most unexpected for Europeans - even judges in the Republic of Belarus are all appointed and removed by the Head of State. But it's in the economy where elements of the Soviet system have most clearly been preserved. Belarus became a highly industrialised manufacturing country during the Soviet period. But a decade after Communism collapsed, more than two thirds of industry remain in the state's hands. Private enterprise is strictly regulated.
State planning is still in place.
The country suffers from high inflation and the national currency has been repeatedly devalued. Shops in Belarus often display prices in new roubles and old roubles, which means a bewildering number of zeros in each price. Foreign companies, beyond a few airlines, are absent. But official statistics show continual improvements in growth and industrial output. The Belarussian government even refers to an 'economic miracle'.