Georgia’s Pivotal Election

Thu. October 15th, 2020
Live Online

On October 31, Georgians head to the polls for a parliamentary election contextualized by an economic downturn and rising political polarization.

The ruling Georgian Dream party—having won credit for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic—aims to win an unprecedented third term in government. Its main opponent is still the United National Movement, led by former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Other parts of the opposition could take advantage of new electoral rules giving greater opportunities to independent candidates and smaller parties.

Join Salome Asatiani, Giorgi Gogsadze, and Stephen F. Jones for a discussion on the election’s implications for the future of Georgia and the South Caucasus. Thomas de Waal will moderate.

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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Salome Asatiani

Asatiani is a correspondent at the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Giorgi Gogsadze

Gogsadze is a professor of social and political sciences at the Tbilisi State University.

Stephen F. Jones

Jones is a professor of Russian studies at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, and author of Georgia: A Political History Since Independence.

Thomas de Waal

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

De Waal is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.