Georgia has for the first time been included in the list of electoral autocracies in the annual report of the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) project.
According to the V-Dem classification, Electoral Autocracies are regimes in which elections are held, but they are not completely free and fair. In such countries, political opposition is suppressed, the media is controlled, and the judiciary is not independent. These states formally imitate democratic processes, but power is concentrated in the hands of one ruling circle.
The report says that as of early 2025, 65% of the population of the Eastern European region lived in just such regimes. These include Hungary, Russia and Serbia, for example.
Last year, V-Dem categorized Georgia as an “Electoral Democracies” - countries where elections are competitive and citizens have a real opportunity to change power through voting, despite problems with the rule of law, civil rights and institutional sustainability.
It is noted that Georgia began its journey to autocracy back in 2017, but a significant overall decline was registered only by the end of 2024. This was largely due to the parliamentary elections in Georgia in October 2024.
“The period of democratization with improved judicial independence, freedom of speech and civil rights lasted from 2013 to 2017. The reverse process started in 2018, but the deterioration was gradual until 2023. In 2024, democracy indicators plummeted, turning Georgia into an electoral autocracy.
The 2024 elections were accompanied by accusations of fraud and mass protests. The authorities labeled the political opposition as criminal forces and threatened to ban opposition parties. Protesters and civil activists were arrested and prosecuted, and a new law on “foreign agents” was adopted.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution stating that Georgian democracy was under threat and suspended the country's EU integration process,” the report says.
According to V-Dem's assessment, Georgia, along with Mozambique and Comoros, is among the countries where the 2024 elections were much less free and fair than those held a decade ago.
The authors of the report also speak of Russian interference in the electoral processes in Georgia and Romania. Among the countries in the region that are in the process of autocratization, there are many that are susceptible to Russian influence. Its forms also differ - military invasion (Ukraine), economic and military dependence (Armenia and Belarus).
V-Dem is an international research project that assesses the level of democracy in different countries using hundreds of indicators. In its annual reports, the organization analyzes global democratic trends, political rights, freedom of speech, electoral processes and the independence of institutions.
Reprinted from https://www.newsgeorgia.ge/
Comments