Georgia

Military & Security

Politics

The ruling Georgian Dream party's presidential candidate, Mikheil Kavelashvili, was inaugurated amid protests against the party, and former independent President Salome Zurabishvili claimed she was Georgia's only legitimate president, Euractiv reported on Dec. 29.

Georgia: President Inaugurated Amid Street Protests

The European Council's secretary general announced that the Georgian Dream government promised to create a working group to amend the controversial "foreign agents" law that has stymied European integration, Civil Georgia reported Dec. 20. 

Georgia: Government Allegedly Pledged To Amend 'Foreign Agents' Law

Europe

Georgia has seen five straight days of intense protests since Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on Nov. 28 that the country had decided not to begin its EU accession negotiations until 2028, BBC reported on Dec. 2. 

Georgia: Ruling Party Suspends EU Accession Talks Until 2028, Fueling Protests

Following the clearing of an overnight protest, Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party held the first session of the country's new Parliament since the disputed October election, Civil Georgia reported on Nov. 25.

Georgia: First Session of Georgian Parliament Held Following Overnight Protest

Social Issues

Georgian police violently dispersed demonstrators at dawn on Nov. 19 who had been camping in tents for 48 hours and occupied a building at Tbilisi State University, Civil Georgia reported the same day. 

Georgia: Security Forces Disperse Protest Encampment

Russia

After days of protests over an investment agreement with Moscow that would allow Russians to buy local real estate, on the evening of Nov. 15, opposition activists stormed the complex housing parliament and a presidential administration building in Abkhazia's capital, Sukhumi, and continue to occupy it as of Nov. 18, DW reported Nov. 16.

Georgia, Russia: Abkhazia Political Crisis Does Not Threaten Russian Control

At a rally in central Tbilisi on Nov. 4, Georgian opposition leaders revealed their plan for the protest movement following the country's Oct. 26 parliamentary election, Civil Georgia reported on Nov. 5. 

Georgia: Opposition Reveals Protest Action Plan

Economics

The European Union's annual report on its enlargement policy said the bloc had de facto halted Georgia's accession process because Georgia had regressed in the area of "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights," but the report also said Georgia recorded progress in 25 of 35 policy areas and that Georgia's alignment with EU common foreign and security policy had risen from 44% to 49%, Politico reported on Oct. 31.

Georgia: EU Enlargement Report Rules Out Accession Talks, But Ruling Party Touts Progress

Snapshots

Opposition supporters rally to protest results from the parliamentary elections Oct. 28 outside Parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Global Elections

Georgian Dream's claimed victory in the parliamentary election will commence a prolonged protest movement and potential political crisis.

Georgia's Protest Movement Faces an Uphill Battle After Parliamentary Elections

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Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

The founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, stands behind the bulletproof glass as he gives a campaign speech in Gori, Georgia, on Sept. 14, 2024.

In the likely case that the ruling GD party clings to power, Georgia will continue to feign interest in Western integration as it deepens ties with China and Russia. But an opposition victory that yields a new, pro-European government cannot be ruled out.

What's at Stake in Georgia's Oct. 26 Election

Georgian students protest the government's controversial ''foreign agents'' bill in Tbilisi on May 13, 2024. 

While the bill's passage may increase and radicalize supporters of the pro-Western opposition, the ruling GD party is still favored to win upcoming elections, ensuring the country's continued reorientation toward Russia.

Georgia Is Set To Adopt Its Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill. What Now?

United States

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India

U..S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Oct. 14, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Arab counterparts Nov. 4 in the Jordanian capital in a bid to garner regional support for U.S. policies in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Meets Arab Ministers, State Assembly Elections in India

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An old map labels African countries and regions by their colonial names.

Shifting national identities have always led nations to adopt new names, and in this evolving multipolar world, modern states are no different.

National Identity and the Geopolitics of Choosing a Name

Demonstrators wave a flag of Georgia in Europe Square on June 20, 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The ruling party's recent move to impeach the country's pro-EU president acutely illustrates how Georgia's complex domestic politics complicate predictions of its geopolitical trajectory.

Deep Divisions Set the Tone For Georgia's Geopolitical Future

Georgian opposition supporters gather outside the parliament in Tbilisi on March 9, 2023, ahead of a vote on the ruling party's controversial ''foreign agent'' bill. 

The rejection of the controversial bill will reduce the intensity of recent demonstrations, but the country's greater path toward Western integration remains uncertain.

Georgia Drops Its 'Foreign Agents' Bill, Easing Protests and Western Concerns -- For Now

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 15, 2021. 

Security

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

European Disintegration

These countries will probably receive more EU funding and political support to help fend off threats from Russia, but they're unlikely to join the bloc anytime soon.

For Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, EU Aid Remains More Likely Than Accession

The chairman of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, attends a press conference following EU-mediated talks with opposition leaders in Tbilisi on March 31, 2021. 

The ruling party’s withdrawal from the EU-brokered pact it signed with opposition leaders could undermine the legitimacy of Georgia’s upcoming elections. 

An Annulled Political Deal Plunges Georgia Back Into Uncertainty 

Media

Armenia

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Podcasts

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

In this episode of Baker's Dozen, host Rodger Baker speaks with Lasha Kasradze, a Eurasia analyst who specializes in the Caucasus about Georgia and the tentative geopolitical situation of the Greater Caucasus, where great powers and lesser powers have been jockeying for position.

Baker's Dozen: The Geopolitics of Georgia

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast, Stratfor Vice President of Strategic Analysis Rodger Baker speaks to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili about her visit to Brussels to discuss progress on Georgia's inclusion in the EU and NATO.

Essential Geopolitics: Georgia's Role in NATO and the EU

Georgia is located in the Caucasus region, a transcontinental zone between Europe and Asia, and is surrounded by powerful neighbors that have controlled part or all of the country throughout much of its history. These include Russia to the north, Turkey to the southwest and Iran to the southeast.      Georgia's core is found in the capital city of Tbilisi, where the country's economic, political and demographic resources are concentrated. But because of Georgia's largely mountainous terrain, the country has distinct regional differences and contains various non-Georgian ethnic groups that have traditionally maintained autonomy from Tbilisi. These groups, most notably the Abkhazians and Ossetians to the northwest and north, have posed a separatist problem for the Georgian state. The territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia established de facto independence from Georgia with the help of Russia in a 2008 war.    Because of Georgia's disputes with Russia and its military vulnerability, Tbilisi has sought to integrate with Western blocs like NATO and the European Union. However, Georgia's geographic distance from Europe and its exposure to Russia has made that a difficult prospect. Thus, Tbilisi also seeks supplementary partnerships with countries like Azerbaijan and Turkey. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Georgia: President Inaugurated Amid Street Protests

Georgia: Government Allegedly Pledged To Amend 'Foreign Agents' Law

Georgia: Ruling Party Suspends EU Accession Talks Until 2028, Fueling Protests

Georgia: First Session of Georgian Parliament Held Following Overnight Protest

Georgia: Security Forces Disperse Protest Encampment

Georgia, Russia: Abkhazia Political Crisis Does Not Threaten Russian Control

Georgia: Opposition Reveals Protest Action Plan

Georgia: EU Enlargement Report Rules Out Accession Talks, But Ruling Party Touts Progress

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