Authoritarian Turn of Georgia. An Introduction to the Context.

Since 2022, Georgia’s political path has been severely changed by a legislative blitz, erosion of democratic institutions and harsh protest restrictions aimed at blocking pro-European aspirations. In the face of brutal police violence, mass arrests, organised crime, systemic purges, and financial racketeering, street protests still show fierce public resistance. The members of a recently founded alliance, the ‘Movement for Social Democracy,’ will elaborate on this critical turning point and discuss the root causes and structural forces behind this consolidation of power.