Mariami Japaridze | Georgia’s Fight for Freedom

In the 22nd episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz speaks with Georgian political analyst and civic activist Mariami Japaridze about Georgia’s fight for freedom, its European future, and the growing confrontation between democracy and Russian authoritarian influence.Few countries illustrate Europe’s geopolitical vulnerability as clearly as Georgia. Long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia had already experienced military aggression, occupation, disinformation and hybrid warfare. Today, the country is again at a crossroads: a deeply pro-European society is confronting an increasingly authoritarian government, while Russia remains a constant force in the background.Mariami brings both analytical expertise and first-hand experience to the conversation. She explains how Georgia became already in the 2000s a testing ground for Russian hybrid warfare strategies later seen elsewhere in Europe like in Ukraine 2014, what has kept the protest movement alive despite growing repression, and why the struggle over Georgia is about much more than one country’s domestic politics. The episode also raises a broader question for Europe: how seriously is the European Union prepared to defend democratic forces in countries that are still fighting to become part of it?Watch the ARTE documentary on the South Caucasus featuring Mariami: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/122762-008-A/tracks-east/Follow Mariami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meomari_japara/Thumbnail Picture shot by Tornike Shengelia Get full access to Nikodem at nikodemskrobisz.substack.com/subscribe