TY - JOUR AU - Barbara Patlewicz PY - 2021/12/27 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Azerbejdżan pod rządami Alijewów JF - Sprawy Międzynarodowe JA - sm VL - 74 IS - 4 SE - Polityka wewnętrzna w państwach Kaukazu Południowego DO - 10.35757/SM.2021.74.4.02 UR - http://czasopisma.isppan.waw.pl/index.php/sm/article/view/1541 AB - In previous years Azerbaijan experienced only a few of leadership changes following independence in 1991. In 1992 Abulfaz Elchibey, the leader of the Popular Front, won first fairly contested presidential election. However the beginning of the current phase political life took place in 1993. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied then 14–16 percent of Azerbaijan (20 percent according to Azerbaijani sources), including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The collapse of the Popular Front government led to Heidar Aliev’s former communist party boss return to Baku as national leader. During his presidency (1993–2003), Aliev ensured political order, economic stabilization and peace, but suppressed political pluralism. At the time Azerbaijan has positioned itself on the international scene as an increasingly important actor, but in domestic politics system crafted by Aliev political power was concentrated in the hands post-Soviet cadres and regional clans. Ilham Aliev became president of the country in 2003. The period immediately preceding and following his reelection for a second term in October 2008 was marked by further steps towards the consolidation of the semiauthoritarian and authoritarian regime established by his father – Heidar. ER -