Since February 24th 2022, Georgia’s economic ties and dependence regarding Russia have markedly increased, leading to heavy criticism of the Georgian Dream-led government about its lack of transparency around ties to Russian business interests. Most obvious among these concerns are those centred on the party’s founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire and former prime minister who made his fortune in Russia before entering Georgian politics.

Nearly one year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a stroll through the streets of Tbilisi provides a visual reminder of both the ongoing conflict and the Georgian population’s prodigious support for the Ukrainian people. With billboards flashing blue and yellow and Ukrainian flags nearly matching their Georgian counterparts in representation, it is unsurprising that a March 2022 poll commissioned by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) showed that 98 per cent of Georgians support the Ukrainian people.

Since the news broke early in the day on February 24th that Russian forces were invading Ukraine, many living in Georgia were quick to express solidarity and a willingness to help.

Georgia remains one of the few countries in the region that has not imposed a travel ban on Belarusian airlines. These continued flights have made Tbilisi an ideal destination for Belarusians who have come to Georgia for political or humanitarian reasons. However, is the government ready and able to guarantee their safety?

In recent years, Georgia’s vibrant capital Tbilisi has been lauded as a top destination for fledgling startups and digital nomads in search of a low cost of living and close connections to Europe. However, since the highly disputed Belarusian presidential elections of 2020 and the onslaught of political persecution following widespread protests in the country, Georgia’s largest city has also become an attractive destination for those fleeing Belarus.

Georgia’s household debt crisis existed long before COVID-19 hit, but it has been exacerbated by the current pandemic. To make matters worse, the credit environment is plagued with predatory conditions and a lack of regulation which has put many of Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens in a perpetual debt cycle.

Approximately 150 kilometres north of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, and nestled into a valley below Mount Kazbek lies the town of Stepantsminda. Home to a population of fewer than 2,000 permanent residents, Stepantsminda has become a popular destination over the last decade and has economically benefited from Georgia’s growing tourism sector. Keti, a local woman from the Kazbegi region, joined the area’s emergent hospitality sector in 2015. She opened a hotel with the help of a loan from one of the country’s largest private banks, Bank of Georgia.

Results released by the Central Election Commission show that nine parties have passed the one per cent threshold to enter the new parliament.

With only two days until the upcoming Georgian parliamentary elections on October 31st, New Eastern Europe is watching the developments in Tbilisi closely. This election will be the first since the electoral structure was reformed from a majoritarian system to a predominantly proportional one. Georgia, like the rest of the world, is also facing the economic and public health difficulties that have accompanied the global pandemic. Make sure to follow Georgian Election News for regular updates. #GEElectionNEWS

With less than two weeks until the upcoming Georgian parliamentary elections on October 31st, New Eastern Europe is watching the developments in Tbilisi closely. This election will be the first since the electoral structure was reformed from a majoritarian system to a predominantly proportional one. Georgia, like the rest of the world, is also facing the economic and public health difficulties that have accompanied the global pandemic. Make sure to follow Georgian Election News for regular updates. #GEElectionNEWS

With less than a month until the upcoming Georgian parliamentary elections on October 31st, New Eastern Europe is watching the developments in Tbilisi closely. This election will be the first since the electoral structure was reformed from a majoritarian system to a predominantly proportional one. Georgia, like the rest of the world, is also facing the economic and public health difficulties related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure to follow NEE’s Georgian Election News for regular updates. #GEElectionNEWS

Like much of the world, Georgia has experienced the first half of 2020 in a way that could not have been predicted. The ruling Georgian Dream party faced the difficult choice of sparing economic losses or imposing strict regulations to maintain public health. The COVID-19 virus, while largely curtailed in Georgia by decisive action, has left many economic woes in a country that will only be intensified by an imminent election.

This year is shaping up to be unlike anything that could have been anticipated. This was a year that many expected to see dominated by Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and a highly-contested US presidential election in the autumn. Instead, the first six months saw a global shutdown and subsequent economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19. The country of Georgia, which anticipated ten months of mud-slinging and campaign promises in the run up to its October parliamentary elections, quickly found itself as pre-occupied as the rest of the world with mitigating the effects of the virus.

Interview with Hatia Jinjikhadze, Deputy Director at the Open Society Georgia Foundation. Interviewer: Mackenzie Baldinger.