Description:

Please join the Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies Research Program (REEES) for this panel discussion.

On October 26, 2024, Georgians went to the polls to elect a new government. While the ruling party announced it had won the majority of votes, international election monitors noted a number of electoral violations, and all opposition parties refused to accept their seats until Georgian Dream agreed to address those violations. The ruling party rejected the concerns as invalid and proceeded to seat a one-party parliament. It also unilaterally elected a new president, passed new repressive laws, and announced it was suspending accession talks for EU accession, despite opinion polls indicating around 80% of Georgians support joining the EU.

For over 40 days, thousands have taken to the streets every night to protest these anti-democratic and anti-Western moves. To discuss this dramatic and unstable situation in the Caucasus region, we have invited our guests in Tbilisi: Eka Metreveli of the Rondeli Foundation, Giorgi Melashvili of the Europe-Georgia Institute, and Koba Tumanidze of the Caucasus Research Resource Center. The event will be moderated by Ian Kelly, Northwestern's Ambassador in Residence and former U.S. ambassador to Georgia.

Please register for this event.