Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Municipal Elections & Tbilisi Politics
- Foreign Agent Law, One Year Later
- Georgian Perspectives on TRIPP
Episode 475 | Recorded: September 28, 2025
Show Notes
Summary
We look at Georgia’s Oct 4 municipal elections, why the races feel lower stakes than parliamentary contests, and why Tbilisi remains the real battleground. Archil outlines Georgian Dream’s strength, the opposition’s fragmentation and boycotts, and how public fatigue shapes turnout. We review Kakha Kaladze’s record in the capital, the debate over sanctions and asset freezes, and what the “foreign agent” law has changed for NGOs. We close with Georgia’s view on TRIPP and a brief Georgia-Armenia comparison.
Main Topics Addressed
- Municipal elections: stakes, turnout, likely outcomes
- Opposition fragmentation and boycotts, limited alliances
- Kaladze’s governance record and delivery in Tbilisi
- Sanctions talk, asset freezes, and “lists” in politics
- One year on: effects of the foreign agent law on NGOs
- Georgia’s view on TRIPP and transit leverage
- Georgia vs Armenia: political cycles and opposition strategy
Key Questions Discussed
- How important are these municipal races, and what would force a runoff in Tbilisi?
- Are opposition alliances meaningful, or does fragmentation decide outcomes?
- How should voters assess Kaladze’s policies and execution in the capital?
- What does a boycott achieve for parties like UNM and Coalition for Change?
- What is the real impact of sanction talk and public “lists” inside Georgia?
- What has the foreign agent law changed for foreign-funded NGOs in practice?
- Would TRIPP weaken Georgia’s transit role, and can it proceed without Iran and Russia?
- What lessons from Georgia’s politics apply to Armenia’s opposition playbook?
Referenced Articles & Sources
Wrap-up
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Guests
Archil Sikharulidze
Dr. Archil Sikharulidze is a founder of the Tbilisi-based research institute SIKHA foundation, in the Republic of Georgia. He holds masters degrees in International Relations from Tbilisi State University, and Public Administration from The Robert Gordon University in Scotland. Mr. Sikharulidze is focused on Russian and Islamic Studies. Additionally, political processes and international relations in Ukraine, the South Caucasus and Kazakhstan. He writes extensively for various local and international platforms such as OpenDemocracy, NewEasternEurope, CommonSpace.EU, RIAC, and Russia in Global Politics.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional with extensive experience in enterprise IT infrastructure, IT security, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong (ca. 1989/1990) and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.