DFWatch is launching Georgia Week, a weekly email briefing with news, background, opinion and archive content from Georgia.
The aim is to give readers an unbiased picture of what is happening, without relying on donor-funded narratives, government messaging or opposition slogans.
Each week, Georgia Week will collect some of our main stories and explain why they matter. The first issue looks at growing tension between Georgia and European diplomats, continued street protests, pressure on Azerbaijani dissidents, and a debate over stray dogs that quickly became part of the larger political fight over how Georgia is described abroad.
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In the first issue
EU keeps envoy in Georgia despite angering ruling party
The European Union is keeping Ambassador Paweł Herczyński in Georgia, despite repeated clashes with the ruling Georgian Dream party. Rezonansi reports that his mandate has been extended, likely by one year.
The decision sends a political message. Georgian Dream has repeatedly accused EU institutions and ambassadors of unfair treatment and interference. Brussels, meanwhile, continues to criticize Georgia’s government for democratic backsliding and drifting away from the country’s European path.
Read more: https://dfwatch.net/eu-keeps-envoy-in-georgia-despite-angering-ruling-party-66640/
Tbilisi turns fire on German ambassador
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili sharply attacked German Ambassador Peter Fischer, accusing him of damaging relations between Germany and Georgia.
The dispute followed a wider diplomatic row after the German city of Saarbrücken moved toward suspending its long partnership with Tbilisi. The case shows how Georgia’s conflict with Western institutions is no longer only about Brussels. It is increasingly playing out through individual ambassadors, European cities and public statements.
Read more: https://dfwatch.net/tbilisi-turns-fire-on-german-ambassador-66590/
May 26 plans show Georgia’s deep political divide
Georgia marks Independence Day on May 26, but this year the holiday also reflects the country’s unresolved political crisis. The government is preparing official celebrations, while opposition groups and protesters are using the same date to highlight what they see as a struggle over Georgia’s future direction.
The competing plans show how national symbols, independence and Europe have become part of the political confrontation between Georgian Dream and its opponents.
Read more: https://dfwatch.net/may-26-plans-show-georgias-deep-political-divide-66637/
Opinion
Georgia’s stray dog crisis did not begin with Georgian Dream
A recent Foreign Policy article turned Georgia’s stray dog problem into an indictment of the current government. There are real questions about how the state program is being carried out. Dogs have reportedly been removed, records have been questioned, and activists say shelters need scrutiny.
But the problem itself is not new. DFWatch covered Georgia’s stray dog crisis in 2012, 2014 and 2015. The issue goes back to the collapse of municipal systems in the 1990s, weak animal-control policy, abandoned pets, underfunded shelters and a public split between fear and sympathy.
Old problems should not be made to look new simply because they fit the current political mood.
Read more: https://dfwatch.net/georgias-stray-dog-crisis-did-not-begin-yesterday-66598/
Background
Sadigov extradition shows Georgia’s failure to protect Azerbaijani dissidents
The extradition of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov has revived an older question: whether Georgia is still a safe place for dissidents from neighboring Azerbaijan.
The case follows a long pattern of concern, including the 2017 abduction of journalist Afgan Mukhtarli from Tbilisi. Georgia has often been described as a refuge for activists and journalists from the region, but that reputation has repeatedly been tested.
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