Interviews

Prof. Dr Iago Kachkachishvili, Professor of Sociology and Head of the Direction of Sociology and Social Work at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences; Director, Institute of Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA), Tbilisi, honored us with his views on the impact of the “Peace versus War dilemma” narrative coming from the Georgian Dream (GD) party on the Georgian voters, is this factor strong and work in favour of GD. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024.

Dr Eka Akobia, Dean, Caucasus School of Governance; Director, Institute of Peace Studies (IPS), honored us with her views on what is the likely impact of the October 2024 legislative elections in Georgia on regional security. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024.

Nino Dolidze, Director, ISFED, Tbilisi, honored us with her views on the evaluation of the pre-electoral environment in Georgia. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024.

Dr Sergi Kapanadze, Founder of GRASS and former Deputy Foreign Minister and Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Tbilisi, honored us with his views on the type of propaganda narratives Russia has been advancing in Georgia, and their impact. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024.

Mr. Ekke Nōmm, Director, Estonian School of Diplomacy, Tallinn, honored us with his views on some of the key implications for the South Caucasus of the global struggle between democratic and autocratic great powers. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024. 

Mr. Rikard Jozwiak, Europe Editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prague, honored us with his views on whether the EU has been good at providing both democracy and security support or did it (have to) trade one for the other. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe andEU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Mrs. Laura Hruby, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Moldova, Chişinău, honored us with her views on US democracy support in Moldova and how does it relate to what the EU does in Moldova. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Midterm Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Dr. Mareike Ohlberg, Lead, Stockholm China Forum, German Marshall Fund, Berlin, honored us with her views upon China’s engagement in the EU’s eastern neighborhood, and on how does it impact EU democracy support. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

H.E. Amb. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-In-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, honored us with his views about the OSCE’s role in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood as far as democracy- and resilience-building are concerned. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Mr. Ion Manole, Executive Director, Promo-Lex, Chişinău, Moldova honored us with his views on how is the EU perceived by civil society in Moldova to the extent that we can speak of a coherent image. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Mr. Franak Viačorka, Chief Advisor of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President-elect of Belarus & Head of the United Transition Cabinet , honored us with his views on how Russia’s war has impacted the consolidation of Lukashenka’s dictatorial rule. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Mrs. Natia Natsvlishvili, Permanent Representative of the UNDP to Armenia, Yerevan honored us with her views on the key challenges Armenia is faced with when it comes to advancing democratic reforms. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Mrs. Sona Ghazaryan, MP, Standing Committee on European Integration, National Assembly, Yerevan, honored us with her views on the prospects of closer integration by Armenia into the EU. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

REDEMOS Deputy Project Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Tobias Schumacher, Professor of European Studies, NTNU, Trondheim-Norway, and Senior Professorial Fellow, College of Europe in Natolin, on the REDEMOS 2nd Multi-stakeholders’ Meeting that took place in Yerevan-Armenia, on May 13, 2024.

Dr. Ragnar Weilandt, representing the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared his views on the link between democracy-building and security in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Prof. Dr. Marianne Kneuer, representing Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on why REDEMOS is important with respect to the scholarly debate on democratisation. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Koba Turmanidze, President of the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC), Tbilisi, Georgia, and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared his views on how the EU democracy building is perceived across the South Caucasus region, and if there are any trends or patterns that have been detected in recent years. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS “Mid-term Conference: Eastern Europe and EU Democracy Support in Times of War”, that took place in Chişinău, Moldova, on 7 June 2024.

Kakha Gogolashvili, Director of EU Studies, GFSIS (Rondeli Foundation), Tbilisi, honored us with his views on what the EU can do to counter the efforts of malign powers to undermine democracy in Georgia. This discussion took place during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference ‘What Future for Georgian Democracy? Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections 2024’, that took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 19 September 2024.

Assoc. Prof. Arusyak Aleksanyan, representing Yerevan State University (YSU) and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on the relevance and importance of REDEMOS from the perspective of a partner coming from within the region REDEMOS is targeting. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Michael Richter, representing University of Surrey, and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared his views on why REDEMOS is relevant to policymakers. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Mihai Țurcanu, representing IDIS “Viitorul“ and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared his views on the ways Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine affects Moldova’s democratisation and correspondence to EU democracy support efforts. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Kakha Gogolashvili, representing the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS) and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared his views on the current developments in Georgia related to the adoption of the so-called Russian Law, and on where Georgia and Georgian democracy are headed. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Diana Enachi, representing IDIS “Viitorul“ and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on how Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine is affecting Moldova’s democratisation and corresponding EU democracy support efforts. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Tamar Khoshtaria, representing Caucasus Research Resource Center – Georgia (CRRC), and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on how the EU is perceived in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, and why do perceptions matter. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Anastasiia Vlasenko, representing Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on the challenges she has come across when analysing EU democracy support funding, since the entering into force of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Tetiana Fedosiuk, representing the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on how REDEMOS contributes to fostering early-career researchers’ academic pathway This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.

Dr. Maryna Rabinovych, representing Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and a member of the REDEMOS Consortium, shared her views on how Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine affects the country’s democratisation process and corresponding EU democracy support efforts in Ukraine. This discussion was held during the REDEMOS Public Stakeholders Conference: Looking Backwards, Moving Forward – The EU and Support for Democracy in a Fragmented and Troubled Neighbourhood, that took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on 13–14 May 2024.