Media Polarization: A Challenge for Georgian Democracy?

Irakli Jgharkava As Georgia prepares for the second round of the presidential elections, media polarization in the country has become more and more of an issue, posing an immediate threat to democracy. Acrimonious and politicizing, it is splitting Georgian society into two camps — supporters versu...
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Is Georgia’s “Unique” Approach to Church-State Relations Compatible with EU Integration?

Irakli Jgharkava This research paper tackles one of the most controversial issues in Georgian society – the relationship between Church and State. Following a recent statement by the prime minister of Georgia that questioned the “classical understanding” and utility of secularism in the Georgi...
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Anti-migrant Rhetoric in Georgia: Do Far-right Groups Threaten Georgia’s Pro-European Discourse?

Irakli Jgharkava* Last month’s anti-migrant march in Tbilisi, baptized as the “national liberation movement”, marked an uptick in visible far-right sentiment in Georgia. The rally gathered around 2,000 people demanding the deportation of illegal immigrants and an overall toughening of the coun...
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The DCFTA – A Chance for Georgia to Benefit from the EU’s Transformative Power?

Irakli Jgharkava* The geopolitical shift resulting from the European Union’s Eastern Enlargement in 2004 led to the introduction of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an ambitious program designed to enhance political and economic relationships between the EU and its eastern and southern nei...
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