Tag: Georgia

  • Georgian Parliament Races to Limit Opposition

    Georgian Parliament Races to Limit Opposition

    Georgia’s democratic crisis is worsening as a government aligned with Russia clashes with an opposition backed by Europe. The ruling Georgian Dream party, backed by a highly questionable parliament, pushes laws that further weaken opposition forces and endanger Georgia’s European aspirations. In a decisive move, the government ousted opposition MPs from three parties who had previously accused it of widespread fraud in last October’s parliamentary elections. On February 5, parliament voted to strip 49 of these MPs of their mandates—a major setback in the 150-seat legislature—further cementing the ruling party’s dominance in the Georgian Parliament.

    On February 5, Salome Zourabichvili, the opposition leader who claims to be the country’s only legitimately elected president, declared Georgian democracy dead, accusing Georgian Dream of turning parliament into a mere rubber stamp for its authoritarian agenda. She argued that political life in Georgia had effectively ended, with no space left for political activity, the constitution rendered irrelevant, and fundamental rights—such as free expression and assembly—no longer protected. To revive democracy, she urged increased pressure from the United States and the European Union to push for fresh parliamentary elections.

    While Washington had imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream officials for their authoritarian actions, further intervention seemed unlikely, especially given the Trump administration’s early foreign policy stance. Unlike Biden, Trump showed little interest in EU expansion and instead prioritized seeking compromise with Russia over Ukraine, repeatedly emphasizing that U.S. interests came first, not those of the EU.

    Meanwhile, Georgian Dream has grown more assertive in advancing its agenda. On February 6, Mikheil Kavelashvili, the Georgian Dream-appointed president, signed several laws passed by MPs that same day, tightening restrictions on public demonstrations and imposing harsher penalties on violators, according to RFE/RL.

    On February 5, the same day opposition MPs were ousted, lawmakers introduced a bill to amend media legislation, restricting foreign funding for Georgian-registered media organizations. The measure directly targets many of the country’s leading independent news outlets, which have long relied on financial support from government and non-governmental sources in the U.S. and EU to sustain their watchdog role.

    While presenting the amendments, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a key power broker in Georgian Dream, argued that media outlets should generate most of their revenue from “Commercial Advertising.” He failed to acknowledge that Georgia’s advertising market can support only a handful of media organizations and that advertisers are more likely to favor state-aligned outlets to maintain good relations with the government.

    Additional amendments under consideration include a proposal to limit the role of non-governmental organizations in the public decision-making process. The government also plans to revise the foreign agents law to mirror the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to Civil.ge.

    On February 6, parliament appointed four Georgian Dream loyalists to the National Bank of Georgia’s board, giving the ruling party full control over the country’s monetary policy. That same day, MPs confirmed Natia Turnava as the bank’s governor. In early January, U.S. Congress members had urged the addition of Turnava and other Georgian Dream affiliates to the U.S. sanctions list, accusing them of being part of a network of enablers pushing Georgia toward authoritarianism.

    The situation is increasingly dire. The Georgian parliament is adopting a governing style reminiscent of Russia’s, moving closer to Moscow while drifting further from the West. Meanwhile, the opposition, which seeks to break free from authoritarian influence and strengthen ties with the West, is being systematically weakened or entirely sidelined in parliament. Despite maintaining public support, opposition figures are being excluded from key political institutions. With Trump maintaining a “mind your own business” stance, the Georgian government appears poised to consolidate its control in the coming days.

  • Georgia Accelerates Toward Russia with Pro-Kremlin President

    Georgia Accelerates Toward Russia with Pro-Kremlin President

    Democracy and free speech remain intolerable for many governments, who see them as direct threats to their control over the populace and their profitable monopolies on state resources. In their quest to forestall any transfer of power to the people, ruling elites will stop at nothing. These dynamics inevitably breed tension, especially when domestic factions align with opposing global powers. And it is the scenario in Georgia, a small but strategically crucial nation at the juncture of Europe and Asia, where a political crisis is unfolding. Here, a West-leaning, democracy and free speech supporting populace finds itself in an increasingly fraught standoff with a government tethered to Moscow’s influence.

    Georgia’s political landscape is dominated by an entrenched elite, closely intertwined with powerful business magnates—a structure long shaped by Russian dominance and, more recently, tempered by Europe’s growing influence. This dual allegiance has ignited a fierce power struggle, with each side staking a claim to public support. Pro-Russian conservatives find their champion in the ruling Georgian Dream Party, while those resisting the oligarchic nexus are tied to the promise of a European future. After witnessing Ukraine’s struggle, a significant portion of Georgia’s public began favoring closer ties with Europe. However, the Kremlin-linked government, seeking to consolidate power and move closer to Russia, started pushing back. They have rewritten the constitution, held unfair elections, and enacted measures reminiscent of Russian authoritarian practices to silence dissent and retain authority.

    Following constitutional changes and a new framework set by the ruling party’s interests, Georgian lawmakers have chosen Mikheil Kavelashvili as the country’s president. A former professional football player and outspoken critic of the West, Kavelashvili is staunchly pro-Russia. Over the past year, he has repeatedly accused Western intelligence agencies of attempting to drag Georgia into a war with Russia. Under the revised system, Georgia’s president is now selected by a college of electors, comprising members of parliament and local government representatives. Of the 225 electors present, 224 voted for Kavelashvili, who was the sole nominee. His election starkly contrasts with the country’s previous practice of direct presidential elections, further fueling public discontent over Georgia’s democratic backsliding.

    The opposition has declared Saturday’s election invalid and recognizes only Salome Zourabichvili, the sitting president, as Georgia’s legitimate leader. Zourabichvili, a pro-Western figure deeply at odds with the ruling Georgian Dream Party, has refused to step down. She is demanding fresh parliamentary elections, paving the way for a looming constitutional crisis. The October parliamentary elections were widely viewed as heavily rigged, further eroding public trust in the pro-Kremlin government.

    Protests have swept across Tbilisi, with demonstrations planned at over a dozen locations. For the 16th consecutive day, thousands of pro-EU demonstrators have filled the streets, now turning their anger toward the newly nominated president as well. The protests culminated in a massive rally outside parliament, where the crowd rallied behind Salome Zourabichvili. Intensifying her criticism of the government, Zourabichvili denounced its latest actions during a press conference, stating, “What will happen in parliament tomorrow is a parody—an event entirely devoid of legitimacy, unconstitutional, and illegitimate.”

    Georgia is plunging into a significant political crisis as the country finds itself with two presidents after December. Salome Zourabishvili’s refusal to leave office, the opposition’s parliamentary boycott, and ongoing protests have already overshadowed the presidency of her successor, Gia Kavelashvili, likely weakening his position from the outset. The government’s response to Zourabishvili’s defiance following Kavelashvili’s inauguration on December 29 remains uncertain, constrained by widespread public anger.

    Adding to the turmoil, European leaders have thrown their support behind the Georgian opposition, openly rejecting the legitimacy of the recent parliamentary elections and the current parliament. Meanwhile, Washington has intensified its pressure by imposing sanctions on Georgian officials, including visa bans for around 20 individuals accused of undermining democracy, among them key ministers and parliamentarians.

    These developments raise the alarming prospect of Georgia drifting closer to Moscow. The fear is that the country could fall further into Russia’s orbit, effectively becoming another satellite state. As this political standoff deepens, those advocating for democracy face increasing risks of suppression and retaliation.

  • Georgia Stays Committed to Russia

    Georgia Stays Committed to Russia

    Georgia, facing serious geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, has chosen to support the ruling party, Georgian Dream, and its soft Euroscepticism in the parliamentary election held on October 26. This election and the subsequent incidents have attracted significant global media attention due to ongoing regional power struggles and large-scale participation in anti-government protests. The landslide victory of Georgian Dream is undeniably remarkable. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012, secured more than 50% of the vote and won 89 of the 150 parliamentary seats.

    However, the opposition, along with Europe and the U.S., has rejected the results, calling the election illegitimate and fraudulent, and accusing the ruling party of malpractice. While these election results reflect a clear direction, pro-European sentiment dominates the capital, whereas residents in villages and smaller cities continue to support the conservative, Orthodox-aligned Georgian Dream party and maintain pro-Russian sentiments.

    While the opposition takes a tougher stance after the disappointing election—such as boycotting the new parliament and receiving support from Western media—the published results feature a significant win for the Georgian Dream party under the leadership of newly appointed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The party, which mimics Russian politics and caters to Orthodox interests, presents challenges for the country’s strategic direction as it drives its campaign. They have promised to fully pass the Protection of Family Values and Minors bill, which they previously initiated in the Georgian Parliament. The bill, intended to ban LGBT propaganda, has been justified by the ruling party as necessary to prevent the spread of pseudo-liberal ideology from outside Georgia.

    Georgian Dream accuses the opposition of being puppets of the West. They frame the opposition within a narrative of war versus peace, traditional values versus moral degradation, and subservience to external powers versus an independent and sovereign state. The Georgian Dream party pledged to ban the former ruling United National Movement party upon winning office, accusing it of various crimes against the Georgian people during its rule, including pushing Georgia into war with Russia in 2008 and attempting to embroil Georgia in a second front of the Russo-Ukrainian War. A narrative Europe doesn’t like and Russia loves. 

    While the opposition accuses the election and its results of being unfair, there were a lot of setbacks on their side as well. First of all, they were largely split and could not initiate a common drive, and they were poorly connected to rural areas. The opposition coalition, such as Unity – National Movement (U-NM), comprising the United National Movement, Strategy Agmashenebeli, and European Georgia, and the Coalition for Change (CC), which includes Ahali, Girchi – More Freedom, Droa, the Republican Party, For Georgia (FG), and Strong Georgia (SG)—all advocating for pro-Europeanism—could not agree on a common minimum program before the election. The split vote and changing coalition instabilities rewarded victory for the ruling Georgian Dream alliance.

    In the capital, Georgian Dream received 42% of the vote, while the four major opposition coalitions combined received 46%, plus an additional 5.3% from the libertarian Girchi party. This split indicates that the opposition, despite having a clear upper hand, failed to capitalize on their support. According to the current results, the Coalition for Change (CC) came in second, increasing their 2020 election tally from 2 to 19 seats. Unity – National Movement suffered a significant loss, dropping almost 23 seats to reach a total of 16. The Strong Georgia alliance came fourth with 14 seats, while Gakharia For Georgia secured fifth place, winning 12 seats in their first election. All other parties and alliances that had representation in the previous parliament, such as the Georgian Labour Party, lost their representation entirely.

    The future of Georgia looks troubled, particularly after the parliamentary election. The country is deeply divided between conservatives with Orthodox foundations and strong connections to Russia, and Europhiles who are deeply irritated by the ruling party’s Rusophilia. The country will witness more protests against the government, at least in Tbilisi. The choice of the Georgian Dream party will align the country with Russia’s orbit and free it from further trouble with the Kremlin. Georgia appears to benefit from the Russia-Ukraine war, as capital and manpower flow from Russia. It seems that the government and businesses in the country are choosing to capitalize on this opportunity, and the divided opposition is certainly helping the government achieve this.

  • Does Georgia Help Russia Bypass Sanctions?

    Does Georgia Help Russia Bypass Sanctions?

    It is dubious that, while people in Georgia aspire to European integration, politicians are not taking significant action toward this goal. Instead, they are drafting laws like the foreign agents bill, which make the country increasingly authoritarian and similar to Russia in terms of governance and media control. This situation is largely attributed to the significant business ties between Georgian politicians, businesspeople, and their Russian counterparts. Although Georgia was expected to align with Ukraine, given its own loss of substantial territory to Russia in the 2008 war, it is now accused of circumventing Western sanctions imposed due to Russia’s war with Ukraine – an accusation that could jeopardize Georgia’s European aspirations.

    The investigative outlet iFact recently published an article revealing troubling patterns. Journalists posing as parties interested in shipping dual-use goods to Russia found that sending items like drones and computer processors faced few obstacles. The report acknowledged existing inspection protocols designed to prevent illicit goods from crossing the Georgia-Russia border but pointed out that the effectiveness and thoroughness of these checks can vary. Moreover, couriers could potentially bypass Georgian restrictions by routing goods through Azerbaijan, Armenia, or Central Asian countries before reaching Russia. This pattern suggests that such circumvention is unlikely to occur without some level of cooperation from Georgian authorities.

    Georgian government officials have yet to directly address the report published earlier this month. Instead, their focus has shifted to other allegations linking them to Russia. Recently, the ruling Georgia Dream party has been preoccupied with damage control following an August 9 OCCRP investigation into the property holdings of Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili’s family in Russia. Georgia’s Revenue Service has rejected the report, claiming that this is not the first instance of investigative journalists making baseless accusations about uncontrollable entry of sanctioned goods into Georgia and their subsequent export to Russia. Georgian Dream Party leaders have previously denied allegations that Georgia facilitates the shipping of sanctioned goods to Russia, citing a lack of conclusive evidence. Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili asserted in June 2023 that the government is absolutely transparent and declared with full responsibility that no evidence has been presented showing that Georgia has helped anyone evade sanctions. However, this claim remains hard to believe.

    Georgia has not joined Western nations in sanctioning Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, citing concerns that such measures would severely impact its economy. Businesses often exploit loopholes to circumvent sanctions, a tactic historically common through rerouting trade via allied or neighboring countries. Georgia has been accused of such practices, along with other countries close to Russia like Kyrgyzstan, despite its recent protests against Russia and aspirations for EU membership. 

    Georgian leaders insist that the country is not being used to bypass Western sanctions. However, dual-use goods, such as certain mechanical and electronic components, are among Georgian exports to Russia, despite limited production capacity in Georgia. iFact’s report suggests that the presence of these goods indicates exploitation of legal loopholes and logistical routes to support Russia’s war effort. While some argue that sanctions circumvention is minimal, as shown by trade data, and that stricter restrictions could harm Georgia’s economy, others believe that Georgian authorities, closely linked with Russia, are deceiving both Western nations and their own citizens for business interests.

  • How The New Foreign Agents Bill Affects Georgia’s European Dreams

    How The New Foreign Agents Bill Affects Georgia’s European Dreams

    Georgia, a southern Caucasian country geographically located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, is one of the latest candidate members of the European Union. The country, which was long under the Soviet Union and is the birthplace of the famous Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, is now joining the pro-Europe movement in Eastern Europe. Georgia suffered humiliation during the war against Russia in 2008, resulting in the loss of territory, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Doubt among people towards Russia is further exacerbated in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Armenia’s humiliation in the war with Azerbaijan. From the protests in support of Ukraine to the recent celebration of Euro qualification, events have served as venues for pro-European sentiment. However, the government of Georgia and several prominent leaders are not willing to break away from their Soviet and pro-Russian past. The Georgian parliament recently passed a new Foreign Agents bill that highly resembles or mirrors Russia’s democratic bill aimed at restricting people from accessing information. During the Soviet era, this was one way of keeping knowledge under government control. But, of course, this has dealt a significant blow to this West Asian nation’s path to the European Union.

    Georgian lawmakers’ passing of a controversial Foreign agents bill, igniting fresh street protests. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which has a majority in the parliament ,voted 78 to 25 to advance the draft of Foreign Agents bill for further debate. Thousands of people gathered in front of the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, causing traffic disruptions on the capital city’s main road. Opposition to the legislation wasn’t confined to the streets; even the country’s president spoke out against it. Georgia’s president, Salome Zurabishvili, who is at odds with the ruling party, condemned the move as “Against the will of the population”. The proposed law, if adopted, would require any independent media outlet or NGO receiving more than 20 percent of its financing from abroad to register as an “Organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power”. This represents a departure from last year’s bill, which used the term “Agent of foreign influence”. Following widespread protests last year, the ruling party was compelled to rescind the similar bill.

    The law contradicts the democratic reforms that the EU asserts Tbilisi must enact to progress on its path to EU membership. The EU has previously implored Tbilisi not to proceed with the Foreign agents bill. “The draft law on transparency of foreign influence is not aligned with Georgia’s EU aspirations and its accession trajectory”, remarked European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday, echoing Brussels’ criticism of the bill. Furthermore, he emphasized that instead of bringing Georgia closer to the EU, the draft bill would distance it. He continued to express that the rights to freedom of expression and association would be directly threatened by the new law. Last December, the EU granted Georgia official candidate status but stipulated that Tbilisi must reform its judicial and electoral systems, diminish political polarization, enhance press freedom, and limit the influence of oligarchs before membership negotiations can commence formally. But it looks like Georgia is working against the directions.

    Opposition parties and civil society activists argue that the mechanism for this takeover is being facilitated by Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream. Despite ostensibly seeking EU membership, the party is seen to be aligning more closely with Moscow. Video footage was trending in which the head of the parliamentary group of the ruling Georgian Dream party and a major supporter of the Foreign Agents Bill,  was punched in the face by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili while delivering a speech from the dispatch box. Leading players in Georgia’s national men’s football team, the new national heroes, have also voiced their support from the public. They have backed mass protests sparked by a Foreign agents bill criticized for mirroring a repressive Russian law. They wrote: “Georgia’s path is to Europe. The European way unites us!! Forward to Europe!! Peace to Georgia” .

    Georgia, which was formerly regarded as spearheading the democratic transition among the former Soviet states, has come under fire recently for what is thought to be a democratic regression. This further adds to the doubts for the leaders of Georgia, as they risk their dreams of joining the euro by pushing for Russian-type laws. In addition to losing territory, they are maintaining friendlier relations with Russia. As a former Soviet republic, Georgia has sought for years to deepen relations with the West, but the current ruling party is accused of attempting to steer the Black Sea nation towards closer ties with Russia.