The High Geopolitical Stakes of Georgia's Parliamentary Elections

On October 26, the Republic of Georgia held parliamentary elections with immense geopolitical stakes. The former Soviet republic was once staunchly pro-Western and pro-European. But over the last several years, the country has drifted closer to Russia's orbit, largely due to one man: the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. His Georgia Dream party has dominated Georgian politics for nearly a decade, and this rule has brought some democratic backsliding, including a new NGO law, modeled after a similar law in Russia, aimed at undermining civil society. However, the people of Georgia remain overwhelmingly pro-West and pro-European. So, this election was seen as a reckoning: would the ruling Georgian Dream Party be voted out, halting the country's drift towards Russia? Despite some reports of election irregularities, Georgia Dream declared victory, claiming 54% of the vote. The opposition rejects this outcome, leaving the country in an uneasy post-election period. Joining me from Tbilisi, Georgia, is Andres Ilves, Regional Director for the Near East and Eastern Europe for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. We discuss what happened in these elections, what accounts for Georgia's drift towards Russia, and some of the key geopolitical implications of these results. Sign up for our new show about the UN: https://www.globaldispatches.org/s/to-save-us-from-hell