Georgia is now further from the West than at almost any time in its post-Soviet history, according to an assessment from Brussels, which described its democratic institutions as hobbled and its courts under the thumb of the state, according to the article “Five minutes from autocracy: How Georgia U-turned from its Western path,” published by Reuters.

“Just over a year ago, a diverse array of opposition coalitions jockeyed for votes in Georgia’s parliament, with four of them winning seats. Today, of their eight main leaders, all but one are in jail, in exile or facing criminal charges. The ruling party aims to ban the three main opposition groups outright.

The slide into one-party rule has shocked many in the tiny South Caucasus country of 3.7 million. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia appeared a burgeoning democracy, on the fast track to joining the EU and escaping Russia's orbit.

But now it is further from the West than at almost any time in its post-Soviet history, according to an assessment from Brussels, which described its democratic institutions as hobbled and its courts under the thumb of the state.

This month, the EU declared in a report that Georgia was now a candidate for membership "in name only". The EU ambassador in Tbilisi said Georgia was no longer on the trajectory to join the bloc at all.”

“Georgian Dream says it is protecting the country from opposition figures who are trying to seize power and foment a catastrophic war with Russia.

It is a fear that became palpable after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which evoked memories among Georgians of Russian tanks rolling into the suburbs of Tbilisi in a humiliating defeat by Moscow in a brief war in 2008.”

“In recent weeks, Georgian Dream has undertaken a flurry of measures that look to root out what remains of political dissent.

An impending lawsuit at the Constitutional Court will ban the three main opposition parties, while new criminal charges against nine key opposition figures - including jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili - look sure to keep any potential challengers behind bars for years.

Lately, the crackdown has targeted figures close to the ruling party itself, with recent criminal charges levied even against senior government ministers and former top allies of Georgian Dream founder Ivanishvili.

Arrests at nightly anti-government protests outside the parliament keep political activists in states of fear, despair and resignation. Dozens are languishing in jail or have been fined for blocking the road", reads the article.