Similar Events, Different Outcomes

Accounting for Diverging Corruption Patterns in Post-Revolution Georgia and Ukraine

Author(s): Alexander Kupatadze
Editor(s): Iris Kempe, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Lili Di Puppo
Series: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD)
Issue: 26
Pages: 2-4
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Resource Security Institute (RSI), Arlington; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Tbilisi; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen
Publication Year: 2011

The Coloured Revolutions in post-Soviet Eurasia - the 2003 Rose Revolution in Georgia and the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine - followed rigged elections that triggered public discontent. These 'revolutions can also be regarded as declarations of mass frustration with rampant corruption and state capture by criminal groups. Both events involved active youth groups ('Pora in Ukraine and 'Kmara in Georgia) and resulted in some elite changes. However, the implications for combating corruption have been different. Georgia has made rapid progress and quickly improved on various indices measuring the extent of corruption and rule of law while little, if any change took place in Ukraine in this regard. The failure of the Orange leaders to address corruption was also a significant factor leading to the reversal of the 'revolution and re-installation of Old Guard with the election of Viktor Yanukovych. This article tries to explain why Georgia was relatively successful in fighting petty bribery and what prevented a similar outcome in Ukraine.

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