Polarised, fragmented, de-politicised
Nino Lejava on politics and parties in Georgia
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In Georgia, the political arena is dominated by influential men, while parties play a subordinate role. The real lines of conflict between the wealthy and the poor are not reflected in the party system. The ‘Georgian Dream’ party, which describes itself as being social democratic, also does not act as a representative of the interests of the weaker sections of society. The political discourse frequently revolves around the relationship with Russia and the West. Here, the fact is ignored that the government party, which is accused of having close ties with Russia, has signed an association agreement between the EU and Georgia. Equally, people forget that all parties seek to associate themselves with the Orthodox Church, which does indeed disseminate socio-political ideas that are propagated by Moscow.
(Osteuropa 7/2018, pp. 117–120)