Friday, August 15, 2025
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DFWatch staff

Georgia’s ruling GD party denies reports it voted for OSCE resolution condemning its democratic backsliding

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TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), is rejecting claims that it supported a critical resolution passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Porto on July 3. The resolution, which includes a condemnation of democratic backsliding in Georgia, calls for the release of political prisoners and the holding of new elections. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili … Read more

Georgia's ruling GD party denies reports it voted for OSCE resolution condemning its democratic backsliding

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TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), is rejecting claims that it supported a critical resolution passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Porto on July 3. The resolution, which includes a condemnation of democratic backsliding in Georgia, calls for the release of political prisoners and the holding of new elections. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili … Read more

Dire prospects for Georgia’s small-scale farmers

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TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is facing a demographic and agricultural crisis as more than 100,000 rural residents have left villages over the last decade. Between 2014 and 2024, the rural population fell by about 6.3%, dropping from 1,591,181 to 1,490,900, reducing the share of villagers from 43% to 38% of Georgia’s total population. This exodus is so … Read more

Hunger strike fails to unite opposition ahead of local elections

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TBILISI, DFWatch–With just a few months left until Georgia’s local elections on October 4, the country’s opposition remains deeply divided. Some parties are preparing to boycott the vote, while others intend to participate, hoping to secure victory in the capital and other opposition strongholds. Efforts to unite the opposition, including a brief hunger strike by … Read more

Mass firings in Georgia’s foreign ministry sparks speculation of political purge

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TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is facing criticism following a wave of dismissals that appear to target pro-Western diplomats. Dozens of employees, many of them having decades of service, have reportedly been let go in recent days. Most were working on bringing the country closer to NATO and the EU. Some had also signed a November … Read more

EU considers suspending visa-free entry for Georgians

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TBILISI, DFWatch–When foreign ministers from EU member countries meet in Luxembourg on Monday, three of the topics on their agenda are about Georgia: the rise in anti-EU disinformation, possible sanctions over alleged human rights violations, and whether to suspend Georgia’s visa-waiver program to the Schengen Area. Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU since … Read more

Georgia’s ruling party says opposition participation ‘irrelevant’ ahead of local elections

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TBILISI, DFWatch–As Georgia prepares to hold local elections in October, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says it expects a decisive win regardless of whether the opposition parties participate or not. “For the government, it doesn’t matter whether the opposition joins the elections. They have already won either way,” said analyst Edisher Gvenetadze. GD lawmaker … Read more

Parliament commission to investigative UNM crimes seeks extension ahead of damning report

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TBILISI, DFWatch–A temporary investigative commission in Georgia’s parliament is seeking to extend its mandate by one month, in order to complete a report expected to paint a detrimental picture of the former government’s abuse of power, starting from 2003. Chaired by MP Tea Tsulukiani of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, the commission was originally … Read more

Award-winning editor fined for placing protest sticker on police building

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TBILISI, DFWatch–In Batumi, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, journalist and co‑founder of outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, was fined 1,000 GEL (USD 365) for placing a protest sticker outside the regional police headquarters. The incident took place during an opposition rally in January. The sticker bore the message “Georgia Swears an Oath” and was meant … Read more

Global tensions create uncertainty for Georgia’s economy

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TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s economy is beginning to feel the effects of growing global instability, as analysts warn of a potential inflation risk and call for caution in the monetary policy. The National Bank decided at its June 18 meeting to keep its key refinancing rate unchanged at 8%, citing economic uncertainty. Bank officials aim to maintain … Read more