Talk Georgia

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his is a special edition of Talk Georgia, which airs every Sunday at 22:00, where Giorgi Rukhadze and Nodar Kharshiladze answer audience questions about Georgian and regional politics.

Top Questions of the week:

Gakharia's party is calling for an investigation into the violence in Parliament. What do you expect the Prosecutor's Office to do? Could Talakhadze and Gorduladze face charges?

Why has the so-called "sabotage" case accelerated? Is it aimed at paving the way for banning opposition parties, or at jailing opposition leaders for political leverage?

What message does President Mikheil Kavelashvili’s attendance at Ali Khamenei’s funeral send to Washington, and what does it reveal about Georgian Dream’s foreign policy priorities? Please send your questions for the next show to [email protected]

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARET

his is a special edition of Talk Georgia, which airs every Sunday at 22:00, where Giorgi Rukhadze and Nodar Kharshiladze answer audience questions about Georgian and regional politics.

Top Questions of the week:

Gakharia's party is calling for an investigation into the violence in Parliament. What do you expect the Prosecutor's Office to do? Could Talakhadze and Gorduladze face charges?

Why has the so-called "sabotage" case accelerated? Is it aimed at paving the way for banning opposition parties, or at jailing opposition leaders for political leverage?

What message does President Mikheil Kavelashvili’s attendance at Ali Khamenei’s funeral send to Washington, and what does it reveal about Georgian Dream’s foreign policy priorities? Please send your questions for the next show to [email protected]

Talk Georgia brings you weekly news updates on the key political and regional developments in Georgia. New episodes drop every Saturday at 22:00. Don’t miss out!

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

Guest: Julie George — Political scientist, Professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) and Columbia University.

01:04 Introducing the Guest. Why Georgia, what brought her to this country and what made it one of the central points of her studies.

03:15. How Georgia’s political identity was transformed in the past 30 years. Shevardnadze, Saakashvili, Ivanishvili, who made the biggest impact on how Georgians understand themselves, their state, sovereignty, and place in Europe?

09:22 Why does Georgian Dream’s fear-based messaging - around war, foreign agents, and cultural threats - resonate with some voters? Can it reshape public opinion, or is it simply a strategy to maintain power through fear?

19:03 How does conflict proximity shape political identity? Does living near the occupation lines foster inclusion or exclusion? And how has Russia’s continued pressure reshaped Georgian identity?

27:00 Is competitive authoritarianism in Georgia becoming full authoritarianism? Looking at the courts, parliament, civil society, media, and a weakened opposition, where does Georgia stand between flawed democracy and consolidated authoritarianism?

31: 30 Did the Rose Revolution create today’s system? Could elite defections still trigger change, or has power become too centralized under Ivanishvili?

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

Guest: Julie George — Political scientist, Professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) and Columbia University.

01:04 Introducing the Guest. Why Georgia, what brought her to this country and what made it one of the central points of her studies.

03:15. How Georgia’s political identity was transformed in the past 30 years. Shevardnadze, Saakashvili, Ivanishvili, who made the biggest impact on how Georgians understand themselves, their state, sovereignty, and place in Europe?

09:22 Why does Georgian Dream’s fear-based messaging - around war, foreign agents, and cultural threats - resonate with some voters? Can it reshape public opinion, or is it simply a strategy to maintain power through fear?

19:03 How does conflict proximity shape political identity? Does living near the occupation lines foster inclusion or exclusion? And how has Russia’s continued pressure reshaped Georgian identity?

27:00 Is competitive authoritarianism in Georgia becoming full authoritarianism? Looking at the courts, parliament, civil society, media, and a weakened opposition, where does Georgia stand between flawed democracy and consolidated authoritarianism?

31: 30 Did the Rose Revolution create today’s system? Could elite defections still trigger change, or has power become too centralized under Ivanishvili?

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

This is a special edition of Talk Georgia, which airs every Sunday at 22:00, where Giorgi Rukhadze and Nodar Kharshiladze answer audience questions about Georgian and regional politics.

Top Questions of the week:

GD has now equated Russia and the EU, claiming that Brussels, like Moscow, violates Georgia’s sovereignty. Have they hit rock bottom, or should we expect even more?

Another major corruption scandal has erupted in Georgia’s healthcare sector. Around 25 people have been charged, including a former deputy health minister. What do we know about this case, and who is being targeted this time?

Please send your questions for the next show to [email protected]

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

This is a special edition of Talk Georgia, which airs every Sunday at 22:00, where Giorgi Rukhadze and Nodar Kharshiladze answer audience questions about Georgian and regional politics.

Top Questions of the week:

GD has now equated Russia and the EU, claiming that Brussels, like Moscow, violates Georgia’s sovereignty. Have they hit rock bottom, or should we expect even more?

Another major corruption scandal has erupted in Georgia’s healthcare sector. Around 25 people have been charged, including a former deputy health minister. What do we know about this case, and who is being targeted this time?

Please send your questions for the next show to [email protected]

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

Guest: Davit Usupashvili — Lawyer, Politician, Former Chair of Parliament of Georgia | Former Leader of the Republican Party

01:37 Introducing the guest

04:00 Commenting on recent developments, including the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association’s victory at the European Court of Human Rights, the harsh prison sentences handed to October 4 rally organisers and participants, and the growing use of Georgia’s judiciary to suppress political competition.

22:34 Revisiting the years 2012–2016, when he served as Chair of Parliament: when did the first warning signs emerge that Bidzina Ivanishvili sought not merely to govern the state, but to become the state?

44:13 Using the metaphor of Georgia as a critically ill patient, we discuss his diagnosis of the country’s condition and the treatment needed for recovery. and If Ivanishvili is gone tomorrow would that solve the problem?

53:24 Finally, looking ahead: what warning signs should Georgians watch for, and what are the best- and worst-case scenarios for the years to come?

Support Talk Georgia by subscribing on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/TalkGeorgia or donating at https://buymeacoffee.com/talkgeorgia

PLEASE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE ❤️ LIKE 💬 COMMENT 📣 SHARE

Guest: Davit Usupashvili — Lawyer, Politician, Former Chair of Parliament of Georgia | Former Leader of the Republican Party

01:37 Introducing the guest

04:00 Commenting on recent developments, including the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association’s victory at the European Court of Human Rights, the harsh prison sentences handed to October 4 rally organisers and participants, and the growing use of Georgia’s judiciary to suppress political competition.

22:34 Revisiting the years 2012–2016, when he served as Chair of Parliament: when did the first warning signs emerge that Bidzina Ivanishvili sought not merely to govern the state, but to become the state?

44:13 Using the metaphor of Georgia as a critically ill patient, we discuss his diagnosis of the country’s condition and the treatment needed for recovery. and If Ivanishvili is gone tomorrow would that solve the problem?

53:24 Finally, looking ahead: what warning signs should Georgians watch for, and what are the best- and worst-case scenarios for the years to come?