Tag: Georgian Dream

Georgian Dream is the ruling political party of Georgia, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012. The party came to power promising to balance Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration with pragmatic relations with Russia, but in recent years has moved sharply toward authoritarian governance and a posture increasingly hostile to the EU and Western institutions. Its disputed 2024 parliamentary election victory triggered mass protests in Tbilisi that lasted months, and the EU suspended Georgia’s accession process in response to the government’s democratic backsliding.

The Georgian Dream government’s trajectory has direct implications for Armenia and the South Caucasus. Georgia is Armenia’s primary transit corridor to the outside world — the only route for goods that does not pass through Turkey, Azerbaijan, or Russia. A Georgian government that accommodates Russian pressure or destabilizes the country’s relationship with Western institutions creates logistical and political risks for Armenia. Georgia’s domestic politics also serve as a proxy indicator of Russia’s ability to maintain influence in former Soviet states that have expressed European aspirations.

Groong covers Georgian Dream and Georgian politics as a South Caucasus story with direct Armenian relevance. Episodes in this category address the party’s electoral controversies, the protest movement, the EU’s response, and what Georgia’s political direction means for regional stability and Armenia’s Western integration pathway.

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenian Identity and Integration in the South Caucasus
  • On the Nature and Thinking of the Armenian Constitution
  • Relations with Russia Through Time
  • The Geopolitics Around the South Caucasus

Episode 372 | Recorded: October 2, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • Election, Politics, and The Geopolitical Context
  • Who are the Major External Influencers in Georgia’s Politics?
  • Is Talk of Civilizational Catastrophe, or Rapprochement with Abkhazia/South Ossetia Election-time Populism?
  • Neutrality and Georgian-Armenian Relations

Episode 370 | Recorded: September 21, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • Election, Politics, and The Geopolitical Context
  • Who are the Major External Influencers in Georgia’s Politics?
  • Is Talk of Civilizational Catastrophe, or Rapprochement with Abkhazia/South Ossetia Election-time Populism?
  • Neutrality and Georgian-Armenian Relations

Episode 370 | Recorded: September 21, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenian Day of Independence: Sep. 21
  • “Strategic Partnerships”
  • Armenian Azerbaijani Talks

Episode 368 | Recorded: September 23, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • Armenian Day of Independence: Sep. 21
  • “Strategic Partnerships”
  • Armenian Azerbaijani Talks

Episode 368 | Recorded: September 23, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • What is Neutrality Studies?
  • Rise of the Multi-Polar World

Episode 367 | Recorded: September 18, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • What is Neutrality Studies?
  • Rise of the Multi-Polar World

Episode 367 | Recorded: September 18, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • The Government’s Track Record
  • The State of the Economy
  • “Pivot to the West”
  • Elections in Georgia

Episode 366 | Recorded: September 18, 2024

Guest:

Topics:

  • The Government’s Track Record
  • The State of the Economy
  • “Pivot to the West”
  • Elections in Georgia

Episode 366 | Recorded: September 18, 2024