Can Georgia Overcome Its Political Divide?

Thu. February 10th, 2022
Live Online

Georgia is experiencing a protracted crisis of polarization. The country’s two main political parties—Georgian Dream and the United National Movement—are locked in a fierce power struggle and show little interest in letting the middle ground win voters’ support.

This political clash, which is straining Tbilisi’s relations with the international community, is but the latest chapter in a three-decades-old story of polarization that has held back Georgia’s democratic development. In this context, how can the country move forward?

Carnegie Europe invites you to a discussion on Georgia’s political chasm featuring Thomas de Waal and Archil Gegeshidze, authors of “Divided Georgia: A Hostage to Polarization,” and Jennifer McCoy. Dimitri Tskitishvili will moderate.

To submit a question for the event, please use the YouTube chat, email brussels@ceip.org, or tweet at us @Carnegie_Europe.

This event is part of the Future of Georgia project which is run by Carnegie Europe and the Levan Mikeladze Foundation, with financial support from the Government Offices of Sweden and the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

event speakers

Thomas de Waal

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

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

Archil Gegeshidze

Archil Gegeshidze is executive director of the Levan Mikeladze Foundation and former ambassador of Georgia to the United States.

Jennifer McCoy

Nonresident Scholar, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Jennifer McCoy is a nonresident scholar in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, where she focuses on political polarization and democratic resilience in the U.S. and around the world.

Dimitri Tskitishvili

Dimitri Tskitishvili is president of the Georgian Progressive Forum and a former member of the Parliament of Georgia.