Authors

  • Nino Samkharadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at GIP. At the same time, she is a PhD student at Tbilisi State University, Department of Political Science. She has obtained MA degree in Nationalism and Ethnicity Studies from TSU and BA degree in International Relations from International Black Sea University (IBSU). Being an invited lecturer at IBSU she delivers courses in Introduction to Political Science and Nationalism in International Relations. Nino’s research interests include nationalism, identity politics and their influence on political processes in the post-Soviet region.

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04/09/2024 ნინო სამხარაძე

All Politics Is Local: Why Further Democratic Change in the Regions of Georgia Is Needed?

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Authors

  • Nino Samkharadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at GIP. At the same time, she is a PhD student at Tbilisi State University, Department of Political Science. She has obtained MA degree in Nationalism and Ethnicity Studies from TSU and BA degree in International Relations from International Black Sea University (IBSU). Being an invited lecturer at IBSU she delivers courses in Introduction to Political Science and Nationalism in International Relations. Nino’s research interests include nationalism, identity politics and their influence on political processes in the post-Soviet region.

    View all posts

Authors

  • Nino Samkharadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at GIP. At the same time, she is a PhD student at Tbilisi State University, Department of Political Science. She has obtained MA degree in Nationalism and Ethnicity Studies from TSU and BA degree in International Relations from International Black Sea University (IBSU). Being an invited lecturer at IBSU she delivers courses in Introduction to Political Science and Nationalism in International Relations. Nino’s research interests include nationalism, identity politics and their influence on political processes in the post-Soviet region.

    View all posts


Publish Date:
2024-09-04 11:58:05

The 2024 parliamentary election in Georgia is viewed effectively as a referendum and thus critical for what lies ahead, defining society’s position on the country’s European future and integration. This vote is particularly significant given the accelerated decline in democracy under the Georgian Dream government, which has created an imminent threat to the Georgia’s European aspirations. Society has responded strongly to this disturbing escalation in polarization which has been exemplified by the ruling party’s adoption, amid widespread public protest, of the controversial law “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence”. Despite weeks of demonstrations on the streets, Georgian Dream has persisted in anti-democratic actions, underscoring the ruling party’s determination to retain power by any means necessary. These developments are threatening not only Georgia’s democracy, but its constitutionally declared aspiration to become the member of EU, which, according to the EU officials, is currently the frozen issue (Herczyński 2024).

This is why the parliamentary elections in October have acquired exceptional significance (Zurabishvili 2024a). The Georgian population is called upon to not only elect a parliament and government, but also to reaffirm, at a fundamental level, commitment to the country’s democratic and European development. At this juncture, it is crucial to engender the broadest possible trust in alternative pro-European political parties in order for society to consolidate Georgia’s democratic future. It is considered that, traditionally, politics in Georgia are centered mainly in the capital, although more than 70% of the population are registered in the regions and vote outside of Tbilisi. Therefore, political parties must undertake significantly stronger and more effective efforts in the regional areas – big cities, smaller urban and rural settlements of Georgia – beyond their past practice, to safeguard the country’s democracy and ensure its European future. Accordingly, this policy brief, based on demographic and analytical data as well as expert interviews, starts by examining the key characteristics of political behavior in the regions. It then outlines three strategies that are essential for regional engagement, analyzed through the “how, who, and what” framework. The essay concludes with pertinent recommendations for political parties.

Key words: parties in regions; elections in the regions; politics in the regions; 2024 elections

Policy Brief #62 | September 2024

This publication was produced with Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) e.V. in Berlin in the framework of the project “Georgian Civil Society for EU Integration GEO4EU”, supported by the Federal Foreign Office through the Civil Society Cooperation Programme for the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia.
© Cover Photo: Kennett Area Democrats
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