What's happened
Georgians head to the polls today for parliamentary elections that could determine the country's political alignment. The ruling Georgian Dream party seeks a supermajority to consolidate power, while the fragmented opposition aims to steer Georgia towards EU and NATO membership. The outcome will significantly impact Georgia's democratic future and its relations with the West and Russia.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, the elections are crucial for determining whether Georgia will remain democratic or shift towards authoritarianism, with Giorgi Gakharia stating, 'The elections will decide Georgia’s future course not for the next four years, but for the next decade.' The Moscow Times highlights the Kremlin's stance, noting that 'we're witnessing completely unprecedented attempts by the West to interfere.' Meanwhile, The Guardian emphasizes the elections as a watershed moment, with Kornely Kakachia asserting, 'This is a watershed moment that will determine whether the country becomes a sovereign democracy integrated with the west or falls back into Russia’s sphere of influence.'
How we got here
Georgia has been governed by the Georgian Dream party since 2012, which has increasingly aligned with Russia. The opposition, divided into several factions, is campaigning for a return to pro-Western policies and EU integration, making these elections pivotal for the country's future.
More on these topics
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Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaija
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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Bidzina Ivanishvili is a Georgian politician, billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who was Prime Minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013.
Ivanishvili founded the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party on 21 April 2012.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Salome Zourabichvili is a French–Georgian politician and former diplomat who currently serves as the fifth President of Georgia, in office since December 2018.
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Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia is the governing party of Georgia. The party was established on 19 April 2012 by the billionaire businessman and politician Bidzina Ivanishvili.
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Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician. He was the third President of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.