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Irakli Sirbiladze

@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social

Researcher; Georgia, the EU and Eurasia; IR Theory; GMF's ReThink.CEE Fellow 2023; Queen Mary University of London graduate.

94 Posts487 Follower467 Folgt
Irakli Sirbiladze@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social · 7mo ago

In this piece for Civil Georgia, I try to look at how government-driven Euroscepticism and autocratization interact with the structural challenges facing Georgia, and how pro-democracy actors must navigate these dynamics to sustain the country’s democratic foundations. civil.ge/archives/718...

Analysis | Checking Georgia’s Anti-EU Drift - Civil Georgia

Since Georgia regained its independence in 1991, the ruling elites and the broader public have conve

civil.ge

LSE Blogs@lseblogs.bsky.social · last yr.

The Russia-Ukraine war isn't just about Trump and Putin. Russia’s imperial state structure shapes the state’s behaviour, regardless of who leads it or how the West reacts. ✏️‬@pierzynskigabriel.bsky.social @ho-centre.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...

Why the Russia-Ukraine war isn’t just about NATO and Putin

Even without Putin, Russia may have invaded Ukraine. Russia’s imperial state structure shapes state actions regardless of who leads it or how the West reacts.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Irakli Sirbiladze@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social · last yr.

Due to protests, Georgian Dream also withdrew the first foreign agent law in 2023. Then you know what happened. The point is, once autocratic logic sets in, it can resurface. Ukrainians must remain vigilant.

Kyiv Post@kyivpost.com · last yr.

Zelensky has submitted a draft law to Parliament that prohibits the Prosecutor General from issuing directives to anti-corruption agencies. The agencies have confirmed that the bill RESTORES full procedural powers and guarantees their institutional independence.

Irakli Sirbiladze@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social · last yr.

Khazaradze sure has money but that cannot buy the popularity he and his party desperately needs to be a sole opposition player. They are so unpopular, the best they can do is to organize meetings with their party members and they will probably struggle even with that.

Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social · last yr.

In addition to other parties and public polls decisively favoring boycott, Lelo had no support by Strong Georgia coalition partners Freedom Square and For the People either (Freedom Square is outright in the boycott camp). And now the party is seeing resignations too. 2/2.

Sonja Schiffers@sonjaschiffers.bsky.social · last yr.

Across the #SouthCaucasus, democratic spaces are shrinking at an alarming pace. Join us for an urgent conversation about #authoritarianism, #resistance, & the future of #democracy in the South Caucasus. Wed, 09 July / 6:30 – 8:00 pm At @boell.de Berlin & online! calendar.boell.de/en/event/aut...

Authoritarian Pressures in the South Caucasus: Can Democratic Practices Prevail?

Across the South Caucasus, democratic spaces are shrinking at an alarming pace. In Azerbaijan, where authoritarian rule is longstanding, repression has intensified significantly since late 2023. A wav...

calendar.boell.de

German Marshall Fund@gmfus.bsky.social · last yr.

🇬🇪 "Western partners can and must take steps to help Georgia back toward a more democratic path, which would also aid their geopolitical objectives." Read @iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social‬'s latest insight:

How To Help Georgia Out of Its Growing Democracy Crisis

Georgia is fighting for its political future. The ruling Georgian Dream party now governs through an expansive repertoire of repressive tools to stifle dissenting political voices. Pro-democracy…

gmfus.org

Robert Saunders@robertsaunders.bsky.social · last yr.

It's become almost commonplace to say that the promise of democracy is that it will deliver higher standards of living. But that was never the claim made by the Chartists, the women's suffrage movement or those who struggled to win democracy in the past. And it's a bad test to set for the present.

Quote from newspaper article with highlighted text: "Years of stagnation have broken liberal democracy’s central compact with voters, that it is the best system to deliver prosperity for each generation."
Irakli Sirbiladze@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social · last yr.

In this piece, I argue that Georgia's attempt to pursue multi-alignment has fallen short due to its limited strategic value. Multi-alignment is successful if states offer value that forces all competing actors to accept the multi-aligning state’s engagement with their rival power.

Aligned or Multi-aligned? Georgia’s Foreign Policy in Flux

Georgia faces a mutually reinforcing domestic and foreign policy crisis. At home, unprecedented autocratization is met with unprecedented democratic resistance. In foreign policy, an increasingly auth...

gip.ge

Irakli Sirbiladze@iraklisirbiladze.bsky.social · last yr.

In this short book chapter, we argue that there is a storm in the U.S.-Georgian relationship, and that GE re-committing to democracy and close ties with the US and the EU could help weather it. So far, the Trump Administration shows continuity in US policy toward Georgia. But things could change.

Changing Times, Changing Priorities: Will the U.S.-Georgian Partnership Weather the Storm?

For some decades now, the U.S.-Georgian partnership has been deepening across many domains, even if Georgia would have welcomed stronger security, economic and people-to-people ties. The war in Ukrain...

link.springer.com