They come to Tbilisi, are taken on a tour, and “taken for a ride” by a conspicuous crowd of people who happen to be out of government at the moment. The latest was Finland’s Elena Valtonen, who did the rounds: dropped by the opposition demonstrators at parliament to show support, met with the usual NGO … Read more
Donor-funded media platforms in Georgia are billed as “independent.” That might play well in Brussels and Washington. But seeing this from the inside here in Tbilisi, the picture looks very different. Outlets such as JAM News and OC Media operate almost entirely on grants from foreign governments and foundations. For long, sounding the alarm about … Read more
As Georgia heads into local elections on October 4, what should have been a routine exercise in self-government has instead become wrapped in national-level polarization, radical rhetoric, and competing visions of the country’s future, according to Ramaz Sakvarelidze, in a recent interview with Interpressnews. “Today there is more polarization and more inadequacy than is typical … Read more
The international media’s portrayal of Georgia’s opposition is starting to look more like myth-making than reporting. Mundane acts of defiance are routinely spun as proof of government repression. Take the case of journalist and media founder Mzia Amaghlobeli, now feted as a symbol of free speech. She has been nominated for the EU’s prestigious Sakharov … Read more
With local elections approaching in Georgia, veteran politician and political scientist Vazha Beridze says the country is heading into a vote unlike any since independence. In an interview with Interpressnews, the former speaker of parliament and ex-mayor of Borjomi argues that both government and opposition share blame for a deeply polarized climate, while insisting the … Read more
When a Tbilisi court cleared 22-year-old Tedo Abramov of serious drug charges, it was the second high‑profile acquittal this month tied to Georgia’s protest wave since late 2024. A little over a week ago, doctor-activist Giorgi Akhobadze was also acquitted; he, too, for drug crime. Activists celebrated. Then came the afterthought: if, as many among … Read more
News platforms by donor-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been among the most influential sources for shaping how Georgia’s politics are understood abroad. Here are their five biggest tricks that wouldn’t be possible today. Their stories travel far and get picked up by international outlets and policymakers. But some of those stories haven’t always stood up … Read more
The response from European and American politicians and organizations to the Mzia Amaghlobeli case—centered on a media owner and journalist who slapped a police chief—appears to be part of a broader effort to pressure the Georgian Dream government, which many in the West increasingly view as authoritarian and aligned with Russian interests, writes Sopo Japaridze. … Read more
When a government-friendly TV channel recently reported that German Ambassador Peter Fischer’s spacious apartment in downtown Tbilisi belongs to the wife of a leading opposition politician, that was obviously a story. A diplomat’s potential conflict of interest in the host country’s domestic political wranglings? That is exactly the kind of thing that stirs a journalist’s … Read more
American diplomacy lost a man who weighed with authority on the Euro-Atlantic partnership, at a point in time when this relationship is being remoulded. Georgia lost a friend and an anchor to the West, precisely at a moment where we still wander in a changing geopolitical sea without a rudder. Ambassador John Kornblum will be missed. … Read more