Media logo
Georgia’s EU U-turn

Georgia’s democratic decline 4th steepest in world according to Economist Democracy Index

Protesters gather in front of Georgia's Parliament building on 15 February 2025. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
Protesters gather in front of Georgia's Parliament building on 15 February 2025. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence.

For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is  afraid will get out.

Help us fuel Aliyev’s fears — become an OC Media member today

Become a member

Georgia experienced both the ‘steepest deterioration in the region in 2024’ and had the fourth largest decline across all 167 countries surveyed, according to the 2024 democracy index by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

While labelling several moves made by the ruling Georgian Dream party as contributing to the democratic backsliding, the report framed the actions as being related to Russia ‘indirectly’ playing a role in domestic politics.

The Economist specifically cited the controversial foreign agent law and the contested parliamentary elections in October, which it described as ‘marred by abnormalities, including pressure on journalists and NGOs and allegations of vote buying and ballot stuffing’.

Again referencing the larger geopolitical situation, the report said the election ‘became a contest between two opposing views of Georgia’s future direction, either towards Russia or the EU’.

The speed of Georgia’s democratic decline in 2024 came behind only Bangladesh, Tunisia, and Kuwait, according to the report.

The report gave Georgia a democracy score of 4.70 on a scale of 0-10, where 0 represents a fully authoritarian system and 10 represents a full democracy. This was down from 5.20 in the 2023 report and down from a high of 5.95 in 2013, a year after the ruling Georgian Dream party came to power. It was also the fifth worst score in Europe, ahead of only Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

Neighbouring Armenia maintained its regional lead in the index, despite its score declining slightly from 5.42 to 5.35 in 2024. Armenia overtook Georgia in 2018, following the Velvet Revolution that swept Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to power.

Azerbaijan maintained its previous score of 2.80, with the report classifying the country as an Authoritarian state.

Georgian Parliament introduces bill to amend control of state theatres
The parliamentary majority has registered a package of draft laws and amendments, one of which is to amend the Law on Professional Theatres.

Related Articles

Mikheil Kavelashvili. Photo: official Facebook page
Georgia

Georgian President Kavelashvili offers pardons to jailed opposition if they take part in elections

Avatar

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili has said he was ready to pardon opposition leaders who were arrested in recent weeks, if they express a desire to participate in the October 2025 municipal elections. Kavelashvili made this statement against the backdrop of a declared boycott of the elections by numerous opposition parties. According to him, ‘It is important that all political parties registered in accordance with Georgian legislation and expressing a desire to participate in the electio

Left: Screengrab from the video of the attack on Vano Tarkhnishvili. Right: Tarkhnishvili after the attack.
Georgia

Singer beaten in Tbilisi ‘over anti-Georgian Dream song’

Avatar

Georgian actor and singer Vano Tarkhnishvili has been attacked and beaten in Tbilisi. Both he and pro-government social media accounts linked the attack to a song he performed months prior, in which he insulted the ruling Georgian Dream party. Tarkhnishvili posted a photo on Sunday evening showing significant swelling on his face. Later, he told TV Pirveli that he was walking near his home when an unknown person approached him, first introducing himself as a fan, and then attacking him. ‘He sa

Most Popular

Editor‘s Picks