Author

  • Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union โ€“ Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.

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23/05/2025 Shota Kakabadze

Speaking Out, Staying Out: The Paradox of Political Participation in Georgia

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Author

  • Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union โ€“ Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.

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Publish Date:
2025-05-23 07:57:56
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For the last six month, Georgia has been spiraling towards authoritarianism with the one-party parliament curtailing fundamental freedoms with a new law or amendments almost weekly. On the other hand, although waves of non-stop protests have hit cities and towns across the country, they have not increased political engagement or influenced policy-making. Political engagement refers to the broad range of activities through which individuals participate in the political process. These activities include voting, protesting, signing petitions, contacting elected officials, joining political parties, or engaging in political discourse online. In a democratic society, such participation is essential to ensure government accountability, policy responsiveness, and the development of an informed and active citizenry.

In Georgia, political engagement reveals a paradox. Although public dissatisfaction with the ruling party and authoritarian drift is growingโ€”evident in frequent protests and active digital dissentโ€”this energy is not translating into sustained or institutionalized political engagement. Many citizens, particularly youth and middle-class groups, express their concerns through participatory politics such as street demonstrations or online platforms. However, deeper forms of engagementโ€”like voting, joining political parties, or advocating through institutional channelsโ€”remain low. This disconnect stems from widespread mistrust in political parties, government institutions, and traditional media, alongside a prevailing belief that individual action cannot bring about meaningful change. Structural weaknesses in Georgiaโ€™s political landscapeโ€”such as a lack of ideological representation, centralized power, media polarization, and shrinking space for civil societyโ€”further compound this disengagement. As a result, protest movements often fail to produce lasting policy outcomes.

This policy memo explores why political engagement in Georgia remains low despite visible public discontent. It examines the roles played by citizens, political parties, public institutions, media, and civil society organizations in either enabling or inhibiting participation. By analyzing recent trends and public opinion data, it seeks to identify the systemic barriers that prevent political engagement from evolving into meaningful democratic participationโ€”and considers what must change to reverse the current trajectory of disengagement. It argues that reversing this trajectory requires targeted reforms: revitalizing political parties to better represent citizens, protecting civil society and media freedoms, improving civic education to build political literacy, and expanding accessible forms of digital engagement. Without these changes, Georgia risks further democratic erosion and growing political alienation in society.

Policy Memo #88 | May 2025

This publication was produced with Institut fรผr Europรคische Politik (IEP) e.V. in Berlin in the framework of the project โ€œGeorgian Civil Society for EU Integration GEO4EUโ€, supported by the Federal Foreign Office through the Civil Society Cooperation Programme for the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the donors and the Georgian Institute of Politics.

ยฉ Cover Photo from: Jurnal Tribuna
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Shota Kakabadze

Shota Kakabadze is a Junior Policy Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Tartu (Estonia). Shota has obtained his Masters degree in the European Union โ€“ Russia Studies from the same university. During his doctoral studies he has been a Swedish Institute Research Fellow at Uppsala University Institute of Russia and Eurasian Studies, as well as a Junior Researcher of International Relations at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. His main research interest includes discourses on national identity, foreign policy, Eastern Partnership. He has published several academic articles and a book chapter on Georgian national identity/foreign policy relationship.