Radicalization of Georgian Politics: Threat to Sustainable Stability

Abstract

Georgia’s recent political crisis exposed many of the problems that have been hindering the country’s democratization agenda over the last few decades. While many of the problems exposed during the crisis have been an integral part of Georgian politics, it also creates deep divides in society and encourages increasing partisan antagonism and political extremism. Intermittent political crises are coupled with frequent economic reverberations and generally unstable geopolitical situation along the country’s borders. As Party driven radicalization is a major obstacle for stability and consolidation of Georgian democracy, it also intensely undermines its security. If not checked it has potential to bring country towards civil confrontation...