Geopolitical Implications of Nagorno Karabakh War for Georgia: Expectations from Great and Small Powers

Expert Comment #18 | July, 2021 The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno Karabakh region culminated in a fierce military confrontation in October 2020. Dubbed the “Second Nagorno-Karabakh War”, the fighting ended with the November Agreement, according to which Armenia returne...
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Extreme Political Polarization: Implications for Georgian Democracy

Expert Comment #16 | March, 2021 The 2018 presidential election campaign and the subsequent political developments brought to the fore the extreme political polarization present in Georgia, a divide which has been steadily deepening ever since. Despite a pluralist and diverse media environment, both...
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Should Georgia Apply for EU Membership in 2024?

Expert Comment #15 | February, 2021 A plan to submit a formal application for EU membership by 2024 was announced recently by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The decision was announced a few weeks before the parliamentary election, during the election campaign, and was later confirmed by a parliame...
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The Perspective of the Far-right Political Parties in Georgia after 2020 Elections

Expert Comment #14 | January, 2021 Up to ten right-wing conservative parties participated in the 2020 Parliamentary elections of Georgia, but according to the official reports of the Central Election Commission (CEC), only one of them – Alliance of Patriots of Georgia managed to cross the minimal ...
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Polling Wars in Georgia: Can it Undermine Public Trust?

Expert Comment #13 | October, 2020 In democracies, opinion polls are a vital tool which offers politicians, parties, legislators and policy-makers a unique glance at the views and preferences of the public. In recent months, the Georgian public has been bombarded with the results of various opinion ...
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What Are the Political Perspectives for Non-liberal Groups in Georgia?

Expert Comment #12 | June, 2020 Possible political success of non-liberal groups with nationalist sentiments poses new challenges to important issues such as rule of law, minority rights, and Euro-Atlantic foreign policy orientation of the country. Given the context of fragile democratization of Geo...
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The Rise of National-Populism: Implications for Georgian Democracy

Expert Comment #11 | June, 2020 Over the past decade, populist right-wing extremist groups have become increasingly vocal and visible in Georgia. Some of these groups exist as informal actors on social media, while others are formally registered as political parties, NGOs or media organizations. Alt...
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Election of the dialogue-minded Bzhania – nothing new or turning point in Abkhaz-Georgian relations?

Expert Comment #10| May, 2020 On March 22, 2020, opposition candidate and former chief of the Abkhaz security service Aslan Bzhania won the so-called ‘snap presidential elections’ in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia. The elections constitute the culmination of months-long political turmo...
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What does the veto on opening talks with Albania and North Macedonia mean for the European aspirations of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine?

Expert Comment #9 | November, 2019 On October 15, EU ministers failed to agree to start the talks that could lead to Albania and North Macedonia joining the EU. While a handful of countries opposed the process with respect to Albania, only France vetoed opening talks with North Macedonia. After the ...
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