Georgia - 59.31
72
The success story of the caucuses
Georgia is the freest, wealthiest, and most humane country in the Caucuses, though this is not saying much. Boasting a stronger and more diverse economy than the glorified petrostate that is Azerbaijan and allowing significantly more free expression than Armenia, Georgia is more comparable to nations in Southern Europe than the Caucus region. It is the highest-scoring country in the Middle East, even if it was only included by technicality. This is not to say that Georgia is without problems. Georgia’s democracy has been heavily eroded in recent years with arrests of several prominent opposition figures and consistent attempts by the government to undermine opposition parties. Georgia’s electoral college is highly complex and prone to manipulation. Georgia’s relations with its neighbors, namely Russia, have been strained. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and carved out two swathes of land, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, now de facto nations inside Georgia’s claimed territory. In practice, they are Russian satellite states but remain de facto independent from Georgia.
Human Rights - 66
Georgia will not be held accountable for human rights violations in Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Georgia has fully abolished the death penalty. Georgia did not allow residents of South Ossetia to cross the border to access healthcare during COVID despite claiming the territory as part of their country. Abkhazia restricted its own residents from crossing the border and it is unclear if Georgia would have done the same if given the opportunity. Police are known to beat and torture suspected separatists. Several cases of torture against suspected Ossetian separatists were reported throughout 2020. The government regularly violently disperses peaceful protests. The government is known to escalate peaceful protests to violence and blame protestors. Rubber bullets, stun grenades, flashbangs, tear gas, and water cannons were used on peaceful protestors on several occasions throughout 2020. Courts in Georgia, especially at higher levels, are subject to political pressure. Suspected Abkhazian and South Ossetian separatists have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in unfair trials. LGBT discrimination protection laws are on the books but not enforced in Georgia, as LGBT Georgians face rampant discrimination. The government has refused to grant permits to LGBT rights NGOs and has refused to deploy police to protect pride parades. Military policy in Georgia is ambiguous but a de facto “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is in effect. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned and Georgia does not recognize same-sex joint adoption. Abortion is legal to twelve weeks.
Democracy - 36
The president is chosen by a byzantine and opaque electoral college system. Local districts choose electorates from a list of eligible candidates, who range from judges and police officers to elected officials. Leader of the prominent opposition party United National Movement Nika Melia was arrested on incitement charges for a 2019 protest that turned violent. The charges were denied by Melia, who was released on bail after two months in custody as part of an EU agreement. Melia still has not faced trial. Former President and exiled opposition figure Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested upon his return to the country on embezzlement charges. Saakashvili was denied entry into his own trial amid security concerns and concerns for his own health as he entered the seventh week of his hunger strike the week the trial began. 120 members of the unicameral parliament are elected through proportional representation while thirty more are elected through single-member districts. The governing Georgian Dream party has been accused of buying votes and stuffing ballot boxes in some rural areas. Georgian Dream took some single-member districts with more than 100% of the vote, which was chalked up to a technical error. International observers noted some irregularities but stated that the election was free and fair in most districts. Electoral laws favor the incumbent and have allowed the Georgian Dream party to rampantly misappropriate state funds. Electoral Code reforms promise freer and fairer elections. Opposition groups operate freely in Georgia until 2020, wherein several prominent opposition figures were arrested. Wealthy oligarchs exert significant sway over the government.
Freedom - 65
The Georgian media scene is free but extremely partisan and there are very few unbiased news organizations in Georgia. The Georgian Dream party sued for ownership of prominent opposition-aligned TV news station Rustavi 2. The news station was transferred to the ownership of Georgian Dream by a court suspected of being penetrated by political pressure. The original founder was later arrested on trumped-up gun possession charges. The government is known to escalate protests to violence and then blame protestors. The government used rubber bullets, stun grenades, flashbangs, tear gas, and water cannons on peaceful protestors on several occasions throughout 2020. The government refused to deploy police to protect a pride parade in 2019 which resulted in homophobic attacks against demonstrators. Georgian Orthodox Churches were not subject to COVID lockdowns while other churches were. Non-Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims face some discrimination. Trade unionists are harassed with regularity. First-time possession of small amounts of drugs is a misdemeanor only punishable by small fines. First-time possession of larger amounts is also not punishable by jail time but rather by significantly larger fines. Repeat possession, distribution, manufacture, and trafficking are all punishable by jail time. Georgia shall issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Rifles cannot be purchased with a self-defense permit.
Economy - 70
Health - 70
Georgia has a life expectancy of 74 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.72%. 21.7% of Georgians are obese and 8% are malnourished. Most malnourishment is in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia has a decent universal healthcare system that offers high-quality care in Tbilisi that deteriorates severely in surrounding areas. 86% of Georgians have access to clean, running water.
Corruption - 76
Georgia is remarkably noncorrupt. Courts at high levels are subject to political pressure but no courts in Georgia are subject to corruption. Court impartiality has resulted in land disputes that are subject to some corruption. Blatant favoritism is shown in awarding public contracts. Forestry companies receive significant favoritism from the government, and some 60% of deforestation in Georgia has gone unrecorded and unenforced.
Competency - 57
The government is failing to shake the influence of Russia and wealthy oligarchs within the country. Georgia received a ten point penalty for large portions of their de jure territory being under the control of a third party (Abkhazia, South Ossetia).
Future - 60
Georgia has been cracking down on opposition in recent years. The arrests of Melia and Saakashvili mark a disturbing turn away from democracy. Aside from a downturn during COVID, the Georgian economy has been growing rapidly.
Actions Abroad - 24
Georgia has severed all relations with Russia after the 2008 invasion. Russia continues to support Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia’s relations with some countries remain strained as a result of their recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia’s relations with Armenia are relatively strained but remain cordial. Georgia maintains very good relations with Azerbaijan. Georgia is attempting to get closer to NATO and the EU and is currently part of the NATO outreach program. Georgia received a ten-point penalty each for its claims to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
4.5% of Georgians live below the international poverty line and 19.5% live below the national poverty line. 9.2% of Georgians are unemployed. Georgia has a low economic disparity. Most extreme poverty in Georgia is located in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are both counted as part of Georgia by the World Bank. An unenforced minimum wage of $8 per month has remained unchanged since independence. In practice, Georgians are expected to join labor unions that hold little power. Georgia has a decent universal healthcare system. The healthcare quality in Tbilisi is comparable to that of Western Europe, while outside Tbilisi hospitals are of poorer quality, there are fewer of them, and staffing issues are rampant. Most or all good medical school graduates in Georgia either leave the country or go to Tbilisi. The Georgian economy shrunk 6.2% in 2020 and grew 5% in 2019.