On 19 September 2024, the Public Stakeholders Conference “What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024” was held in Tbilisi. Organised by the REDEMOS project, in collaboration with the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS), a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, the event brought together around 80 domestic and international stakeholders, including policymakers, diplomats, academics, civil society activists, and journalists. As Georgia is heading toward parliamentary elections, the conference underscored the critical importance of these elections in determining the country’s future political direction.
Global struggles and regional dynamics
The first panel, “Georgia at crossroads: The regional implications of the global struggle between democratic and autocratic great powers”, addressed the complex regional dynamics influenced by the global power competition and its impact on the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, with a particular focus on Georgia. Moderated by Ekke Nōmm, Director of the Estonian School of Diplomacy, the discussion featured contributions by Kakha Gogolashvili (GFSIS, Tbilisi), Eka Akobia (Caucasus School of Governance, Tbilisi), Sergi Kapanadze (GRASS, Tbilisi), and Nino Gelashvili (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty).
The panelists agreed that, against the background of an ongoing struggle between democracy and autocratic rule and the worrying consolidation of the authoritarian space in the South Caucasus region, Georgia is currently at a turning point. The war in Ukraine has provided both the backdrop of a tremendous opportunity, mainly in the form of the EU’s membership offer for Georgia, as well as fertile ground for domestic democratic backsliding. Georgia’s future political trajectory will, therefore, affect not only the country’s domestic developments, but also the regional balance between democratic and autocratic forces, whilst generating significant global implications.
Georgian democracy and 2024 parliamentary elections
The second panel, “What future for Georgian democracy? Assessing the political environment ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections”, delved into the domestic political environment in Georgia and explored various scenarios for post-election developments in Georgia. Moderated by Amelia Hadfield, Chair in European and International Affairs at the University of Surrey, the panel included insights by Nino Dolidze, Director of ISFED, Nino Lomjaria, former Public Defender of Georgia, and Iago Kachkachishvili, Director of the Tbilisi-based Institute of Social Studies and Analysis.
The consensus around the table was that, in their respective efforts to support democracy, external actors should involve civil society and grassroots actors and take indigenous demands more seriously, rather than unwittingly providing support to corrupt governments and propping up undeserving regimes.
Key Statements
Madalina Dobrescu, principal investigator and coordinator of the REDEMOS project, underscored the critical juncture Georgia is at by stating: “Georgia is at a crossroads, torn between a government increasingly determined to dismantle the basic tenets of democratic rule, and significant parts of civil society and democratically committed citizens keen to defend hard-won democratic achievements and see the country succeed on its European integration path”. She further stressed the importance of external actors such as the European Union, stating that they must “firmly support democratic forces and call out undemocratic behaviour without equivocation”.
Kakha Gogolashvili, representing the GFSIS, highlighted the value of the REDEMOS project, particularly in fostering open dialogue and consensus-building through research and policy discussions. He noted that “The REDEMOS project is dedicated to researching and producing policy papers and narratives that explore the causes, dynamics, projections, and outcomes of democratisation in the Eastern Partnership region. A key element of the project is fostering open discussions and live interaction among participating scholars to reach consensus and balanced perspectives on these issues”.
The REDEMOS project continues to foster vital discussions and, as was demonstrated by the Tbilisi public stakeholders meeting, provides a timely platform for critical, in-depth and timely expert debates and insights into the present and future state of democratisation in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood.
