Georgia has moved further from the West than at almost any point since the collapse of the Soviet Union, assessment by Reuters in the article “Five minutes from autocracy: How Georgia U-turned from its Western path” shows. Brussels now describes the country’s democratic institutions as weakened and its judiciary firmly controlled by the state.
The report emphasizes the rapid political transformation Georgia has undergone. Just a year ago, several opposition coalitions competed for influence in parliament, with four securing seats. Today, of the eight main leaders of those groups, only one remains free from jail, exile, or criminal prosecution. The ruling Georgian Dream party is now pursuing a lawsuit to ban the three main opposition parties entirely, a move that EU officials say signals a shift toward one-party rule. These developments have stunned many in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million. Once viewed as a promising democracy and a frontrunner for EU integration, Georgia is now drifting away from the Western path it had built over decades. A recent EU report labeled Georgia a membership candidate ‘in name only,’ while the EU ambassador in Tbilisi warned that the country is no longer on a trajectory to join the bloc.
Reuters further argues that the government’s recent measures have targeted not only its political opponents but also individuals once close to the ruling party itself. New criminal charges have been brought against nine prominent opposition leaders, including jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili, ensuring they remain sidelined for years. At the same time, even senior ministers and former allies of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili have faced investigations.
