Reviving Georgia’s Western Dream
Georgia’s recent instability has dealt a blow to its international reputation as a new democracy, and many will be watching the upcoming presidential election. But Georgia’s Western ambition remains intact, because the government understands that it cannot afford any long-term deviation from democratic norms.
Georgia’s recent instability has dealt a blow to its international reputation as a new democracy, and poses a challenge to the European Union as well. Faced with street protests in November, President Mikheil Saakashvili claimed that Russian-Georgian tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili was conspiring to bring down the government. So he closed the opposition-leaning private Imedi TV station (owned by Patarkatsishvili) and introduced a state of emergency for nine days, before calling an early presidential election for January 5.
Georgia’s recent instability has dealt a blow to its international reputation as a new democracy, and poses a challenge to the European Union as well. Faced with street protests in November, President Mikheil Saakashvili claimed that Russian-Georgian tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili was conspiring to bring down the government. So he closed the opposition-leaning private Imedi TV station (owned by Patarkatsishvili) and introduced a state of emergency for nine days, before calling an early presidential election for January 5.