In recent months, the Georgian Dream party has sparked growing international alarm over its accelerating democratic backsliding, characterised by violent suppression of peaceful protests, the imprisonment of political opponents, and the steady dismantling of civil society and independent media.
The arrest of journalists like Mzia Amaghlobeli and the subsequent deterioration of her health while in detention are not isolated events but part of a broader repression campaign by the ruling party against civil society, civic activists and independent media.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act adopted in May tightened government control by forcing NGOs, media, and individuals receiving foreign funds to register as “organisations serving foreign interests,” enabling broad powers to silence dissent and restrict civic space.
These troubling developments underscore a deliberate, systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, a trend clearly captured in the 2025 Eastern Partnership Index.
While Georgia’s overall Index score remains unaltered as in the 2023 edition of the report, it masks severe democratic regression.
Declines are pronounced in key areas: democratic rights, state accountability, independent media, judicial independence, and the fight against corruption. While minor progress has been recorded in market economy and energy-related policies, these improvements are marginal and overshadowed by the government’s systematic assault on democratic values.
Despite Georgia’s EU candidate status, its democratic indicators are far from those of its EU-aspiring neighbours, Moldova and Ukraine, undermining Georgia’s future within the European family and Georgians’ European aspirations.
As Georgia approaches the local elections scheduled for 4 October 2025, the Eastern Partnership Index highlights serious concerns about the country’s democratic foundations.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has significantly weakened electoral management bodies by repealing qualified majority voting in all election commissions.
This move has effectively sidelined the opposition’s role in overseeing elections, granting the ruling party full control over selecting Central Election Commission members and chairs.
Additionally, the index includes a case study exposing the misuse of electronic voting technologies during the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Along with the more recent arrests of opposition figures, these developments cast a shadow over the fairness, transparency, and credibility of the upcoming local elections.
The deterioration of civil liberties has been met with growing civic resistance.
Despite violent crackdowns, arrests, and mounting intimidation, Georgians continue to take to the streets in defence of democracy and human rights. Civil society organisations remain active in monitoring abuses, challenging repressive laws, and advocating for accountability.
Journalists, lawyers, students, and activists have played a critical role in documenting violations and mobilising public support, even in the face of harassment and smear campaigns.
Georgia’s changing trajectory is not just a domestic concern; it is a European crisis.
The opportunity for meaningful intervention is rapidly narrowing. The European Union and its member states must show clear and strategic unity with Georgia’s civil society, which stands as the country’s last line of defence against authoritarianism.
This requires increasing targeted sanctions on those responsible for repression, support for independent media and civil society organisations, and actively engaging with pro-democracy and pro-European forces on the ground.
Simultaneously, pressure must be exerted on the Georgian government to repeal repressive legislation, free political prisoners, and amend laws to guarantee that upcoming elections adhere to fundamental democratic norms.
The moment to act is now, before the window for democratic renewal shuts down completely.
The Eastern Partnership Index is a data-driven tool that monitors how the six Eastern Partnership countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – are advancing on their path towards sustainable democratic development and European integration. The EaP Index is produced by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, a regional platform that brings together civil society organisations from the European Union and the six Eastern Partnership countries.
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Yana Brovdiy works at the Eastern Partnership Index and is advocacy manager at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
Yana Brovdiy works at the Eastern Partnership Index and is advocacy manager at the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.