From its independence in 1991 until circa 2020, Georgia has maintained a healthy democracy with a vibrant civil society. It has also been eager to join western institutions such as the EU and NATO, embedding such aspirations in its constitution. In 2023, the EU accepted to it becoming a candidate for membership. Its ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), had other ideas. It suspended accession talks the following year, triggering huge demonstrations in multiple cities. In response, the authorities used a WWI era chemical weapons mixed in with the police water cannons in an attempt to disperse and deter protestors.
The general election in 2024 had been rigged, with widespread use of ballot stuffing, stolen IDs, and “carousel voting” utilised, causing the European Parliament to call for new elections and the return of free and fair elections. All this was done on behalf of Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Kremlin aligned oligarch who remains exceptionally close with Putin; he uses the party as a conduit for his business interests and political ambitions. These ambitions include hollowing out its pro-western civil society, with GD passing a Russia-inspired “foreign agents” law, requiring any organisation who receives foreign funding to register as a foreign agent, affecting up to 26,000 NGOs. Further, an EU report considers its system of checks and balances hollowed out. With the slow and progressive crushing of civil society and an independent media, an iron curtain is slowly descending.
The pivot from being pro-western to an increasing Russian vassal state has coincided with increasing dependence on Russia. It now accounts for 45% of oil imports, up from 8% over a decade ago. Whilst the Rose Revolution in 2003 ushered in a period of reform and democracy, it culminated in a shameful decision by the west in 2008. At the Bucharest NATO conference, NATO confirmed that Georgia would be allowed to join, but only at an unspecified date, with no clear pathway set out as to how it would get there. Subsequently, Russia invaded in 2008 to little western opposition, occupying Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two regions within Georgia where Kremlin soldiers remain. The invasion and permanent presence of Russian troops within the country ensured that accession to NATO would be effectively impossible. Georgia today remains at clear risk of becoming a Russian stooge, something completely anathema to the wishes of its people, 80% of whom have aspirations for their country to one day join the EU, whilst 69% of them view Russia as Georgia’s main enemy.
To aid the Georgian people in their plight, the west should sanction those responsible, both for their democratic backsliding and the brutal tactics used against protests. Shamefully, neither the EU nor Britain has sanctioned Ivanishvili. This should be done at once, alongside sanctions against the illegitimate President, Mikheil Kavelashvili. Whilst the UK on 24th February 2026 sanctioned 2 pro-government TV channels, this should go further with sanctions against the individuals responsible for the pervasive use of propaganda and misinformation. The use of sanctions against lower officials, whilst useful, is merely symbolic posturing rather than real pressure, leaving Georgia to face a further descent into autocracy. Britain and the EU have halted most forms of official cooperation, whilst it is something, it mainly hits the innocent hardest. To mitigate this, they should step up funding and cooperation with those who seek western integration and a democratic, pro-western/ NATO future. Failure to do this leaves Georgia as yet another Russian vassal state whilst allowing China to spread its influence there (the Georgian PM has recently visited, offering investment opportunities for the CCP). With regards to the EU and NATO, they should offer credible assurances that it will one day be a member of the two organisations instead of stringing it along indefinitely. In doing so, they signal to Russia that not only will they support Ukraine militarily, but they will not abandon efforts to promote democratic values and the rule of law.
The ubiquity of EU and Ukrainian flags painted across the capital offer a different lesson; it has failed to win the hearts and minds of its people. This is where the west should step in. That is the key to undoing Georgia’s disgraceful decline. In making amends for its shame in 2008, NATO and the EU should step up and provide meaningful support for those who wish for a better future for their country. If they fail, a new iron curtain will be raised across the Caucasus, leaving the Georgian people alone and powerless. That would be yet another disgrace.
