Op-ed | What can the Western Partners Do to Break Georgia’s Authoritarian Descent?
Georgia’s current trajectory holds significant consequences for regional stability and the global democratic landscape. Should the Georgian Dream regime further entrench its power, the country risks becoming a de facto satellite of Moscow, weakening Western sanctions and bolstering Russia’s strategic position in the Black Sea region. Such a scenario would erode the EU’s influence in the South Caucasus, creating a power vacuum ripe for exploitation by Russia and its proxies. The international community must act decisively to counter Georgia’s authoritarian turn.

Dr. Sergi Kapanadze is a Professor of International Relations and European Integration at the Ilia State and Caucasus Universities in Tbilisi, Georgia. He Chairs the Board of a think-tank, GRASS, and is a Senior Researcher at the research institute Gnomon Wise. In the past, he also served as Deputy Foreign Minister (2011-2012) and Vice-Speaker of the Parliament (2016-2020);
This Op-ed is based on an article published in GEOpolitics, a leading source of analysis on foreign policy issues that relate to Georgia. You can learn more about the EU’s policy options on visa liberalization and visa suspension mechanisms by clicking on the full article link here.
At least some building blocks for continuous pressure from Georgia’s Western partners must be implemented as part of a wider strategy to counter Russian influence in the region.
(1) Delegitimize the Georgian Dream regime. The West must unequivocally reject the October 2024 elections and refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament and government. This includes barring Georgian officials from international events and revoking the credentials of Georgian MPs at key forums such as PACE. Such steps would isolate the regime diplomatically and underscore its lack of legitimacy. Any visits or high-level interactions should be suspended until the political crisis is resolved. Georgian officials should not have an opportunity to participate in such events as the Munich Security Conference or GLOBSEC and the bilateral and multilateral parliamentary or Government-to-Government formats must be delayed or canceled.
(2) Push for New Elections and Prisoner Release. Western governments must pressure Ivanishvili to release political prisoners and call new elections. This requires abandoning diplomatic niceties and adopting a more confrontational stance. Futile calls for dialogue only embolden the GD regime, while clear, uncompromising demands signal Western resolve.
(3) Support Democratic Forces. The EU and its member states should redirect financial and logistical support to civil society organizations, independent media, and opposition groups. Facilitating platforms for Georgian democrats to engage with global policymakers is essential to amplifying their voices and strengthening their position. So far, the promises have been made in this direction, but nothing substantial has happened. Salome Zourabichvili should be received as a legitimate president of Georgia, including at the highest level in the EU countries. This will definitely increase the price of isolation for the Georgian Dream leadership.
(4) Expand Targeted Sanctions. The current crisis can only be dispelled if the calculation for Bidzina Ivanishvili changes and he realizes that the increased isolation will hit him financially and his support will crumble. Sanctions are the only viable instrument to this end. Therefore, the Western states must expand sanctions against GD officials and their associates involved in electoral fraud and human rights abuses.
The EU member states, bilaterally or at the EU level, should target Bidzina Ivanishvili and his assets, as already done by the United States. In addition, however, more individuals and groups near Mr. Ivanishvili can be targeted. These groups include:
False Witness Police Officers: This will undermine the current vicious cycle on which the arrest and mistreatment of the protesters is based. The police officers routinely provide false testimonies in the courts, claiming that they arrested the protesters when, in reality, the special tasks department arrests and beats the protesters. The courts never pay attention to the fact that the chest cameras of the police officers are offline, despite the duty to have them turned on during the arrests. This system is coordinated by the legal unit of the Police Department.
Heads of Special Tasks Department Units: The Western partners should impose travel bans on the mid-rank leadership of the Special Tasks Department, which is known for exceeding force, illegally detaining the protesters, and treating them inhumanly. At least one high-level Department head resigned and fled the country; therefore, his testimonies could be instrumental in creating such lists.
Georgian Dream Propagandists: The Western sanctions should target individuals disseminating state propaganda that undermines democracy. The state propaganda rests on the Imedi TV and PosTV, as well as the Georgian Public Broadcaster and Rustavi 2. These TV stations have been instrumental in spreading anti-Western propaganda, promoting hatred towards the West, justifying violence by the GD, and demonizing democracy defenders, as well as spreading anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian messages. Imposing travel bans and financial sanctions on them would seriously undermine their credibility in Georgia. It would serve as a cold shower for many propagandists, such as Irakli Rukhadze, owner of Imedi TV, who is an American citizen and runs several companies in the UK.
Georgian Dream’s Political Council Members: Sanctions similar to those under the Magnitsky Act or the measures against Bidzina Ivanishvili could also be extended to the Georgian Dream political council members. This would serve not only as a symbolic step but would also create a serious wedge in the GD leadership, who are collectively responsible for the country’s democratic backsliding and crackdown on the peaceful protesters. A recent statement by the GD political council, a combination of propaganda lies and conspiracy theories, is a clear testament to the state of affairs in the party. The statement accused a so-called “global war party” and its “Deep State metastases” of controlling these actions, framing them as part of a broader conspiracy to destabilize Georgia and force the country into a devastating war. It also alleged that all critics of the Georgian government, whether international or domestic, are members of this network, driven not by their nations’ interests but by the agenda of the global war party.
National Bank Chairperson: Natia Turnava, a former minister of economy, has played a key role in transforming the relatively independent National Bank of Georgia (NBG) into a fully compliant tool of the Georgian Dream. Under her leadership, the National Bank has depleted national reserves to ease political pressure on the government and facilitated the establishment of mechanisms enabling the US-sanctioned former prosecutor general, Otar Partskhaladze, to bypass Western financial sanctions.
GD-affiliated Businesses: Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family’s business empire have not fully been targeted in the West. The Kartu Group (including the Kartu Bank), its leadership, and the construction businesses owned by Ivanishvili’s family members have avoided sanctions so far. The imposition of targeted financial sanctions on these individuals will seriously undermine the financial support for the Georgian Dream and serve as a serious warning for the Georgian business community.
If the West fails to act, authoritarian regimes worldwide will see this as an endorsement of their playbook: eroding institutions, silencing dissent, and aligning with hostile powers to undermine global stability. The Georgian case is a litmus test for whether Western democracies can uphold their principles and counter authoritarian influence. As Georgian protesters rally for a European future despite crackdowns, their struggle reminds us that the battle for democracy is far from confined to national borders—it is a global fight that demands a united and resolute strategy.
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