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Georgia and the Failure of the “Freedom Agenda”

Burjanadze’s openly pro-Moscow posturing and career of textbook political opportunism suggests that there is probably some truth to the government’s charge. But the government’s diminishing restraint toward its opponents is hardening the perception that Georgia’s ruling elite have no intention of incubating a genuine democratic system. ~Michael Cecire I know that you will find this […]

Burjanadze’s openly pro-Moscow posturing and career of textbook political opportunism suggests that there is probably some truth to the government’s charge. But the government’s diminishing restraint toward its opponents is hardening the perception that Georgia’s ruling elite have no intention of incubating a genuine democratic system. ~Michael Cecire

I know that you will find this just as surprising as I do. The erosion of political freedoms and consolidation of power in what has become increasingly a one-party state are not new developments. They were evident as early as 2004, and arguably there was reason to expect them from the beginning. What is worth noting is not that Georgia under Saakashvili has reverted back to what it was before, but that in terms of political freedoms Georgia is now worse off than it was in 2003. Cecire writes:

Although Georgia’s Freedom House score improved slightly this year — mostly due to better positioning from an outmatched but increasingly savvy parliamentary opposition — its report card on political freedoms remains worse (.pdf) than during the waning days of former President Eduard Shevardnadze’s kleptocratic regime.

The enthusiastic support for Saakashvili and for bringing Georgia into NATO was always deeply misguided. While the latter no longer has any chance of being realized, there continues to be considerable backing for the Georgian government in Congress that depends heavily on the illusion that Georgia represents a political model for the region. Reforming the semi-authoritarian or hybrid regime in Georgia shouldn’t be our concern, but that government also doesn’t need to be a client of the U.S.

This isn’t because it is semi-authoritarian, but because there was never any good reason for the U.S. to have Georgia as a client. The connection with Georgia remains a holdover from the failed “freedom agenda.” It serves no U.S. interest, and it has encouraged the Georgian government in self-destructive behavior for the last several years.

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