Beka Chedia
Dr. Beka Chedia is a political scientist from Tbilisi, Georgia. He is currently a professor of political science and a Tbilisi-based Country Expert (Georgia) for the independent research institute Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) at the Department of Political Science of the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden. Previously, he had been a visiting scholar at several higher educational institutions and think tanks in Western and Eastern Europe, and he is a former journalist. Dr. Chedia is the author of more than 30 scholarly articles published in various international journals, several dozen analytical articles, several policy papers and ten international research projects. He has also published 700 articles in Georgian-, English-, Russian- and Polish-language newspapers and Internet portals.
Contact Beka Chedia
Articles by Beka Chedia
Georgian Dream Launches Russian-Style Repression Against Opponents
Executive Summary: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s November 28 announcement about suspending EU integration discussions has caused a pre-revolutionary situation to develop in Georgia, with protests spreading across the country.
Georgian Dream Hopes to Elect New President With a One-Party Parliament
Executive Summary: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that a new president will be elected in early January. This will be the first time the Georgian president is elected by
Georgian Elections Mark Western Geopolitical Defeat and Win for Russian Influence
Executive Summary: Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party announced its victory in Georgia’s parliamentary elections on October 26, sparking outrage from the opposition due to suspected election fraud. The election results
Georgia’s Path to EU Accession Depends on Upcoming Parliamentary Elections
Executive Summary: The European Parliament adopted a resolution on October 9, calling on the EU executive body to freeze aid to the Georgian government and impose sanctions against those responsible
Georgia’s Ruling Elite Prepares for Complete Capitulation to Russia
Executive Summary: Bidzina Ivanishvili, the informal leader of Georgia, made a recent statement promising an apology to puppet regime of so-called South Ossetia controlled by Russiafor the war in 2008,
Georgian Dream Proposes Orthodox Christianity as State Religion in Ploy to Retain Power
Executive Summary: The ruling Georgian Dream has proposed that if it wins the upcoming elections, it would declare Orthodox Christianity as the state religion in Georgia. The move looks to
Georgia’s Ruling Elite Plans to Maintain Power by Fragmenting Opposition
Executive Summary: In the lead-up to the October parliamentary elections in Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is campaigning to obtain a “constitutional majority” despite showing concern about the
United States Freezes Military Cooperation With Georgia
Executive Summary: The United States announced an indefinite postponement of joint military exercises with Georgia that were originally scheduled for the end of July due to Tbilisi’s adoption of the
Georgia, Losing Western Support, Risks Missing Opportunity to Restore Territorial Integrity
Executive Summary: Officials in Russia and the occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia decried Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s declaration that by 2030, Georgians will once again live with
Georgia Stands at Crossroads Between Autocratic Russia and Democratic West
Executive Summary: Georgia, by changing its geopolitical vector in favor of Russia, risks losing not only the West's political and economic support but also Western investment. The Georgian Dream government
Pro-Russian Ruling Elite in Georgia Announce West as Enemy and Hunt for ‘Western Agents’
Executive Summary: The ruling Georgian Dream party organized a march in favor of their foreign agents bill as a response to two weeks of continuous protests against the bill. Western
Georgia’s Ruling Elite Encourages Russia and Fights Western Influence
Executive Summary: The Georgian government has again introduced a bill on foreign agents that follows the model of similar Russian legislation, specifically targeting nongovernmental organizations and Western donors. The initiative
Russia Baits Georgia With Return of Occupied Territories in Run-Up to Parliamentary Elections
Executive Summary: Fears that Russia will interfere in Georgia’s October 2024 parliamentary election are increasing following the appointment of a new pro-Kremlin special representative of the Georgian prime minister who oversees
Georgia Looks to Build Strategic Partnerships With European Union and China
Executive Summary: New Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is playing a delicate balancing act of attempting to gain EU membership while reproaching the United States in public statements. Kobakhidze’s strategy
Georgia’s New Anti-Western Prime Minister Seeks Ties With China
Executive Summary: Irakli Kobakhidze has been nominated for the position of Prime Minister of Georgia, succeeding Irakli Garibashvili. Influential Georgian Dream Party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili's involvement has been cited despite
Tbilisi’s Goals in Strategic Partnership With Yerevan Remain Unclear
Executive Summary: On January 26, Armenia and Georgia signed a joint agreement establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries. Armenia seeks to reduce its dependency on Russia with the
Some Neighbors Look at Georgia’s Europeanization With Hope, Others With Suspicion
On December 14, 2023, the European Union granted official candidate status to Georgia (Twitter.com/CharlesMichel,December 14, 2023; European Commission, accessed January 2). The decision will presumably have a significant impact on
European Commission Recommends Candidate Status for Georgia
On November 8, the European Commission made the historic recommendation to award EU candidate status to Georgia (Ec.europa.eu, November 8). The final decision to officially grant that status will be
Russian Naval Base in Abkhazia Strengthens Separatists Yet Weakens Pro-Russian Officials in Georgia
Russia has been planning to establish a permanent naval base in the Ochamchire district of occupied Abkhazia for quite some time. On October 4, the leader of the separatist regime
Georgian Government Launches Impeachment Proceedings Against Pro-European President
On September 1, the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the initiation of impeachment procedures against President Salome Zourabichvili (Facebook.com/KobakhidzeOfficial, September 1). The ruling party’s discontent stems from Zourabichvili’s recent visits
Geopolitical Surprise in the Caucasus: Georgia Declares a Strategic Partnership With China
The visit of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to China, which took place at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping from July 26 to August 1, produced a true
NATO’s Indecision on Eastward Expansion Is a Window of Opportunity for Russia
At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius on July 11 and 12, Georgia remained an outsider. Back in 2002, Tbilisi had declared its willingness to join the
A New ‘Georgian Dream?’: Tbilisi Moves for Economic Gains Over Security Guarantees
On June 5, Georgia announced plans to build a second civilian airport near Tbilisi. During a recent government meeting, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili reiterated this decision and justified it with
Georgia Rapidly Cozying Up to Russia and Moving Away From the West
On May 19, the first flight of a Russian airline landed in Tbilisi officially marking the resumption of air traffic between Georgia and Russia. Yet, this development has produced mixed
As Kremlin Boosts Soft Power, Will Georgia ‘Fly’ to Moscow or Brussels?
According to the decree on May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, from May 15 on, the visa regime for citizens of Georgia visiting Russia (which was introduced back
Abkhazian Official Hints Russia Using Its Territory to Avoid Western Sanctions
In April, the administration of the puppet regime of Abkhazia practically confirmed that Russia had begun to use its territory to circumvent Western sanctions. In particular, the media leaked the
Georgia Dragged Into Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Controversy
On March 25, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, in a letter to the spiritual head of global Christian Orthodoxy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, called for
Russia’s Military Failures in Ukraine a Direct Threat to Abkhazia and ‘South Ossetia’
In February 2023, on the one-year anniversary of its re-invasion of Ukraine, Moscow stepped up relations with the two occupied regions of Georgia—Abkhazia and the so-called “South Ossetia” (Tskhinvali region).
Georgia Believes ‘Modest Dowries’ Are Enough for EU Membership
On February 1, the European Commission published analytical reports on Georgia’s, Ukraine’s and Moldova’s respective alignment with the European Union’s acquis. The reports complement the opinions adopted by the European
Russian Praise and Transatlantic Criticism Underline Growing Anti-Western Sentiment Among Georgia’s Elite
During a press conference on January 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the Georgian government for its decision not to join the Western sanctions regime against Russia. However, Tbilisi
Georgian Fears of Widespread Russification Intensify
As a result of the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia, according to the latest data, about 250,000 Russians are already in Georgia at present. In Georgia, citizens
Georgia Is Europe but Faces Growing Risk of Losing Its Euro-Atlantic Future
As expected, at the European Union summit in Brussels, on June 23, the European Council decided not to award membership candidate status to Georgia. The EU’s top agenda-setting body, composed
Georgia Claims Pole Position Among Eastern European EU Aspirants
On June 3, at the Global Security Forum, in Bratislava, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili declared, “I will say without exaggeration that Georgia has always been a leader among Eastern
Georgian Government Claims EU Membership to Deflect Public Attention Away From Its Ukraine Response
On March 3, as Russia’s massive re-invasion of Ukraine entered its second week, the Georgian government unexpectedly followed Kyiv’s lead and filed a formal application to join the European Union.
In Face of Western Criticism, Georgian Authorities Adopt Trappings of ‘Sovereign Democracy’ Rhetoric
On November 13, one of the top leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party, former parliamentary chairperson Irakli Kobakhidze, issued a statement, in which he referred to Polish member of
Russian Interference in Georgian Politics: The Activation of Ultra-Right Forces
On August 2, Irma Inasvhili, one of the founders of the Georgian pro-Russian political party Alliance of Patriots, posted her faction’s open letter to “Your Excellency,” Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Georgia Bids Farewell to Soviet Arms
Georgia’s Defense Minister Juansher Burtchuladze reported to parliament on May 13 that his country would start producing American M4 assault rifles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2022. According to
Georgian Government Accused of Exploiting Travel Restrictions for Political Purposes Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
On September 2, the parliament in Tbilisi approved the Law “On the Rules and Procedures for Georgian Citizens Exiting and Entering Georgia” (Matsne.gov.ge, September 4). This legislation is not related
Politics Around COVID-19 Pandemic Undermine Relations Between Georgia and Armenia
On May 22, Armenian Health Minister Arsen Torosyan accused Georgia of hiding true statistics about the numbers of its people infected with the novel coronavirus and boasted that his country’s
Restrictive Anti-Pandemic Measures Reveal Confrontation Between Georgian Government and Orthodox Church
On April 19, Georgians celebrated Orthodox Easter. But this year, the date highlighted a confrontation between the national authorities and the governing institution of the Orthodox Church of Georgia (the
Georgia’s De Facto Leader Attacks American and Georgian NGOs
On November 27, in an interview on Georgian television, the country’s de facto leader—the chairperson of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Georgia’s sole billionaire, Bidzina Ivanishvili—denounced American non-governmental organizations