Compendium of Policy Briefs 2019

Salome Minesashvili, Levan Kakhishvili,Bidzina Lebanidze, Nino Robakidze The four policy briefs in the publication introduce policy recommendations to tackle the trust crisis, polarization, and populism in Georgia. In particular, the publication focuses on the effect the decreasing level of trust in...
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Polarization: What do we know about it and what can we do to combat it?

Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa[1] A specter is haunting Europe, the specter of polarization. In the last decade vote for anti-political-establishment parties, being them populist, radical and/or extreme has exponentially increased. And with it the distance between political parties and the irreconcilabl...
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Social Underpinnings of Right-Wing Populism in Georgia

Salome Minesashvili A wave of right-wing, nationalist populism is sweeping the Western world, illustrated by Brexit, the election of US President Donald Trump and the rise of right-wing parties across Europe. Although neither populism nor right-wing movements are new to Georgia, the combination of t...
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What could change in the composition of the European Parliament? Should Georgia be worried?

Ketevan Goletiani* Citizens of the 27 EU member states will elect a new European Parliament in 2019. Internal tensions within the European Union and Brexit will influence these elections, as will turbulence on the international stage and migration-related and social challenges, which will result in ...
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Defining the far right in Georgia: From neo-fascists to populist parties

Adriana Stephan As countries throughout Europe fall prey to far-right dissent, Georgia is also witnessing gains in its own domestic, far-right movement. Though still a marginal phenomenon, the burgeoning success of these movements threatens Georgia’s European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organi...
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Democratic consolidation in Georgia: Why does consensus matter?

Levan Kakhishvili The lack of democratic consolidation in Georgia has become an increasingly important challenge against the background of rising populism and democratic backsliding in Europe and North America. It is widely believed that the European Union’s (EU) policy of conditionality has been ...
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German Elections 2017: Continuity at the Top, a Looming Disaster from Below

Silvia Stöber “Boring” is a word often used to describe the ongoing election campaign in Germany. The campaign will conclude on September 24 when the citizens elect new members to the Bundestag. A new government will be formed according to the results.           At first glance, not m...
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The Birth of a Centrist France? What Macron means for Georgia

Shota Gelovani* On May 7, the supporters of European integration, free markets, and open borders celebrated Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the second round of the French presidential elections. Roughly 20 million French voters put their trust in the 39-year old political independent, refusing the fa...
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“Domine, quo vadis?” – Georgian Vulnerability to the EU’s Uncertain Future

Tatia Dolidze Europe is both celebrating and commiserating the 60th anniversary of the Rome treaties as it coincides with the biggest identity crisis the Union has witnessed since the signing of those treaties....
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