In this episode of the Round Room, we explore the rising political unrest in Georgia, a former Soviet republic at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. We unpack the recent consolidation of power by the ruling Georgian Dream Party, the controversial election of far-right president Mikheil Kavelashvili, and the government's authoritarian turn including media crackdowns, protest bans, and a postponed bid for European Union membership. As tensions mount, student-led protests are sweeping the country, demanding democracy, freedom of expression, and a return to Georgia’s pro-European path. Join us as we examine the parallels to Russian influence, the impact on Georgia’s civil society, and the growing urgency of international attention.

We would love to thank our writing team who put together the script for this episode: Styx Hatch, Audrey Collison, Iselin Bratz, Ivan Andarza, Mathew Olaince, and Sadie Scholl . And, of course, we'd love to thank our sound editors Colten Gottlob, and Nik Vyshinskiy

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Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/georgias-new-president-is-inaugurated-complicating-countrys-path-to-joining-eu 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/3/georgia-protests-whats-behind-them-and-whats-next  ​​

https://therecord.media/georgian-authorities-raid-homes-disinformation-researchers-election
https://oc-media.org/georgian-police-raid-homes-of-three-activists-detaining-one/

https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy/countries-region/georgia_en

https://www.dw.com/en/georgias-path-to-the-eu-looms-large-in-2024-election/a-70590398

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/15/europe/georgia-protests-authoritarianism-fears-intl-cmd/index.html

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/the-2008-russo-georgian-war-putins-green-light/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/3/georgia-protests-whats-behind-them-and-whats-next

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/02/georgia-opposition-leaders-arrested-anti-government-protest

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/26/georgia-drop-repressive-foreign-agents-bill

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/17/georgia-court-hands-ex-president-saakashvili-further-4-5-years-in-prison

https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/georgian-students-at-the-front-line-three-months-of-struggle-for-europe?lang=fr

https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/03/24/history-rhymes-intellectual-resistance-and-state-repression-in-georgia/