Traditional and modern
Paradoxes of Georgia’s political system
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In Georgia, a political system has developed that meets fundamental requirements of democracy. There is a constitution, there are elections, and there is a government and an opposition. Politics, the economy and the legislative system are differentiated, and the country has modern institutions. At the same time, neo-patrimonial politicians are undermining the political institutions and blurring the divisions between the private and public spheres. The state is characterised by the simultaneous application of modern and traditional practices. Authoritarian and illiberal tendencies coexist with a constitutional and liberal approach. The prospect of Euro-Atlantic integration and the commitments this entails Georgia are important in ensuring that the establishment of a liberal democracy remains the goal of Georgian society and politics.
(Osteuropa 7/2018, pp. 107–116)