Democratic Backsliding and De-Democratization: How the Georgian Dream Party Eroded the Rule of Law, Undermined the Integrity of Independent State Institutions, and Consolidated Power

The article examines political and legislative developments in Georgia between 2020 and 2024, highlighting policies and legislative actions that have undermined the country’s democratic trajectory and its now-suspended EU integration efforts. It sheds light on the process of democratic backsliding and de-democratization, emphasizing the consolidation of power and the erosion of the integrity of independent institutions. Though de-democratization is, as a rule, unoriginal and predictable in its brutality, lessons can still be learned and “warning signs” heeded from this Georgian case study. Hybrid activities, such as the brutal police clampdown on public demonstrations manifesting assertions of state capture, have occurred and can be expected in other transitional contexts as well. The awakening from dreams can be brutal.