Ost|Est Talk XII:
Post-Election Talk: Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections and the challenges ahead for democracy and European integration
Date: 4 December 2024, 12:15 – 13:15 (Bern), 15:15-16:15 (Tbilisi)
Zoom (https://unibe-ch.zoom.us/j/67790797575?pwd=qkxtxdbe4BS9Sm509dPyG9ISlNHTrw.1)
Guests:
Hans Gutbrod (Professor at Ilia State University Tbilisi)
Nino Apakidze (Investigative Journalist)
Tamta Kakhidze (Transparency International Georgia)
Tamar Khukhia (Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association)
Moderation: Mélody Gugelmann (University of Fribourg)
What do Georgia’s contested October 26 parliamentary elections mean for the country's future? The ruling party Georgian Dream has claimed victory with 54% of the vote, while opposition parties and independent election observers allege widespread systematic electoral fraud and refuse to recognize the outcome. In this talk, we will analyse the context in which these elections unfolded. Has the ruling party definitively turned away from the European path, and what can its opponents anticipate in the near and medium term? Finally, what can pro-democratic actors do to defend free and fair elections and what role does the international community—and its response to the election—play in shaping Georgia’s direction?
This event is being organized in the framework of the SNSF-funded Research Project “Political Opposition in Post-communist Democracies and Authoritarianisms” at the University of Fribourg, in collaboration with the Osteuropa Netzwerk OstIEst (Bern/Fribourg), and the Osteuropa-Forum Basel.
