Polarization and Fragmentation of Georgian Political Landscape: Implications for Democracy Expert Interview with Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa

Interview by Teona Zurabashvili, GIP Junior Policy Analyst ‘’Democracy is not a zero-sum game. The opposition also has the right to govern; they also have the right to win… In Georgia, the government should know that opposition is not their enemy or adversary. That’s one of the serious probl...
Read More

Right-wing Populism in Associated Countries: A Challenge for Democracy

DENIS CENUSA, TAMTA GELASHVILI, ANNA MEDVEDEVA This policy paper provides a structured comparative analysis of the nationalist populist actors, discourses and strategies in three Associated[1] Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. It assesses the challenges of the rad...
Read More

Radicalization of Georgian Party Politics: in Search of Long-term Stability

Bidzina Lebanidze The recent post-election crisis highlighted the role of political radicalization as a major challenge for Georgia’s fragile democracy. Political radicalization in Georgia undermines the process of democratic consolidation and weakens state institutions in the country by contribut...
Read More

Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) summarized the first 100 days of the Georgian Dream government

On April 16th, Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) presented the report “The First 100 Days of the Georgian Dream Government: Reality and Challenges”. The presentation took place at “Radisson Blu Iveria” hotel. The report analyzes the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s implementat...
Read More

Extreme Political Polarization: Implications for Georgian Democracy

Expert Comment #16 | March, 2021 The 2018 presidential election campaign and the subsequent political developments brought to the fore the extreme political polarization present in Georgia, a divide which has been steadily deepening ever since. Despite a pluralist and diverse media environment, both...
Read More

The Rise of National-Populism: Implications for Georgian Democracy

Expert Comment #11 | June, 2020 Over the past decade, populist right-wing extremist groups have become increasingly vocal and visible in Georgia. Some of these groups exist as informal actors on social media, while others are formally registered as political parties, NGOs or media organizations. Alt...
Read More

Resilience and democracy: Can a pragmatic EU still promote democracy in Georgia?

Bidzina Lebanidze Strengthening resilience in EU neighborhood states is a cornerstone of Brussels’ new ambitious global agenda. It aims to strengthen the states and societies that make up the EU neighborhood so they can better cope with challenges and crisis and adapt to fast changing political, s...
Read More

Georgia’s Dangerous Slide Away From Democracy

Kornely Kakachia, Bidzina Lebanidze Originally published by Carnegie Europe It’s a repetition Georgia could do without. This strategically important country in the Caucasus has been beset by yet another political crisis. This time, the catalyst was the government’s failure to follow through on...
Read More

Democratic backsliding in Georgia?

Levan Kakhishvili Originally posted by Institute for European Politics (IEP) There is a long tradition in Georgia of reforming the electoral system. Each government has tried to adjust the system in a way that would help to guarantee the preservation of its own power. In June 2019, against the backg...
Read More