ON DEMOCRACY IN GEORGIA
- Paul Hansbury
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A year (and a bit) has passed since Georgia's last parliamentary election. I missed writing about it on the anniversary and do so now instead. In the October 2024 vote, the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed a 54% vote share amidst widespread claims of irregularities. The political situation has only deteriorated further in 2025. Looking back at what I wrote in blog posts last year (see here, here, here and here), I can see that I was cautious about interpreting the country's new 'foreign agents law'. The legislation on foreign agents prompted street protests that began in the spring and continued throughout the summer. Perhaps, as well, I undersold the extent of the slide towards autocracy.
Recent developments suggest things are only getting worse, quickly. Prosecutors recently announced charges against eight opposition leaders; few observers doubt that the charges are politically motivated. The group is charged with plotting to overthrow the government and collaborating with foreign partners. Most of those charged, including former president Mikheil Saakashvili, are already in prison on other charges; the new charges could bring additional sentences of up to 15 years.
