Once regarded as a frontrunner of the Eastern Partnership, Georgia is today sliding into authoritarianism, despite immense public support for European integration. This article explores the paradox of a pro-European society tolerating this democratic backsliding. It argues that a combination of internal and external factors has reshaped public priorities from democracy building to security. Russian…
In June 2022, the EU granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, while Georgia’s application was rejected. The European Commission presented 12 conditions, in the case of fulfilment of which Georgia will receive candidate status in December 2023. Particularly important points refer to issues such as overcoming political polarisation, the effective functioning and independence of…
An important part of Russia’s grand strategy since the 1990s has been the use of conflict zones across the post-Soviet space for geopolitical aims. Moscow’s battle with the West over the borderlands – i.e., the regions that adjoin Russia from the west and south – has involved keeping Moldova, Ukraine, and the South Caucasus through…
Security of NATO’s eastern flank depends a lot on the situation in the Black Sea region. Today the Alliance is trying to develop a common strategy on this issue. In this process, it is highly important to appropriately assess littoral countries’ role and capabilities in the common security architecture. Georgia is one of the essential…
The whole idea behind the launch of the European Neighbourhood Policy was to secure the near environment on the EU’s border perimeter after the enlargement wave in 2004. Neighbouring states to the East and South, which differed drastically in terms of their geographical and historical background, political system and level of democracy have been united…
The Ukrainian crisis definitely did not make the South Caucasus a safer place. Armenia’s dependence on Russia was exposed further, while Georgian-Ukrainian official relations suffered because of the Georgian authorities’ passiveness and the Saakashvili factor. All of the South Caucasus countries, and especially Georgia and Azerbaijan, felt uneasy with the annexation of Crimea perceived as…
