Lost in Democratization and Modernization

What Next in Georgia?

Author(s): David Aprasidze
Editor(s): Lili Di Puppo, Iris Kempe, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic
Series: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD)
Issue: 2
Pages: 9-11
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Jefferson Institute, Washington D.C.; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Tbilisi; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen
Publication Year: 2009

Georgia's elite is more interested in modernizing the country than democratizing it. They sought to achieve a society transformation, restore the country's territorial unity, and modernize it all at once. However, the August 2008 war with Russia has exhausted the leadership and undermined its key accomplishments - establishing effective state institutions and securing public confidence in them. The regime is now ready to go back on its previous reforms in order remain in power. To this end, it has even sought to improve relations with the Georgian Orthodox church.

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