GIP hosted its annual Democracy Conference “Polarization trap: Georgia’s democracy on the edge of trust crisis and the rise of populism” #GEODEM2019

The rise of populism and the polarization of political parties and the media are two of the most problematic issues that Georgia faces today along its path to democratization. In spite of the actuality of these topics, there is a lack of sufficient knowledge and academic discussion about these probl...
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Compendium of Policy Briefs 2019

Salome Minesashvili, Levan Kakhishvili,Bidzina Lebanidze, Nino Robakidze The four policy briefs in the publication introduce policy recommendations to tackle the trust crisis, polarization, and populism in Georgia. In particular, the publication focuses on the effect the decreasing level of trust in...
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Polarization: What do we know about it and what can we do to combat it?

Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa[1] A specter is haunting Europe, the specter of polarization. In the last decade vote for anti-political-establishment parties, being them populist, radical and/or extreme has exponentially increased. And with it the distance between political parties and the irreconcilabl...
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Rise of Nationalist Populism in Georgia: Implications for European Integration

Bidzina Lebanidze[1] This policy brief explores to what extent the rising wave of populist nationalism in Georgia affects the process of Georgia’s approximation to the EU. Normatively speaking, the populist nationalist discourse in Georgia is Eurosceptic as it legitimizes itself through opposition...
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Decreasing level of trust in Georgian political parties: What does it mean for democracy and how to avoid negative consequences?

Levan Kakhishvili[1] Trust in political parties in Georgia has dropped from 21 percent in 2012 to 8 percent in 2017. Although the level of trust has never been particularly high, this trend should raise concern and inspire political parties to act. Political trust is mostly determined by societal be...
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Social Underpinnings of Right-Wing Populism in Georgia

Salome Minesashvili A wave of right-wing, nationalist populism is sweeping the Western world, illustrated by Brexit, the election of US President Donald Trump and the rise of right-wing parties across Europe. Although neither populism nor right-wing movements are new to Georgia, the combination of t...
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