The difficult European path to settling Russian-Georgian relations in post-election Georgia in 2024: a rollback on European integration or the unacceptability of confrontation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46991/JOPS/2025.4.11.078

Keywords:

Georgian Dream party, pro-Georgian development, Russia, geopolitical balance, confrontation, NATO, EU

Abstract

The article analyzes the trends in the settlement of Russian-Georgian relations after the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26, 2024. Attention is paid to how the ruling Georgian Dream party won, as well as to why Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and the opposition parties refused to recognize the results of the parliamentary elections, calling for civil unrest and protests. The article examines the trends in the settlement of Russian-Georgian relations after 2024 as the beginning of the formation of a new track, which is significantly influenced by historical memory and the Russian war against Ukraine since 2022. In this sense, the Georgian ruling elite actively uses and periodically weaves all this into the modern political agenda, trying to get its domestic and foreign policy dividends. The article notes that the Georgian elite, since the transition of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has begun to create a reality in which a new fundamental historical narrative was formed by returning to the supposedly forgotten past. In this context, the basic actions in implementing this policy are Georgia's transition to a pro-Georgian development course and a demonstrative rejection of its previous orientation toward the EU and European integration.

Author Biographies

  • Marut Vardazaryan, Yerevan State University

    PhD in History, Associate Professor of the Chair of International Relations and Diplomacy at Yerevan State University

  • Erem Vardazaryan, Yerevan State University

    PhD in History, Lecturer of the Chair of International Relations and Diplomacy at Yerevan State University

References

Beacháin, Donnacha Ó. 2025. “Courting Europe: Diplomatic Battlegrounds and the Georgian–Abkhazian Conflict.” Irish Studies in International Affairs 36 (2): 178-218. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/isia.2025.a962916.

Blakkisrud, Helge, Nino Kemoklidze, Tamta Gelashvili, and Pål Kolstø. 2020. “Navigating de Facto Statehood: Trade, Trust, and Agency in Abkhazia’s External Economic Relations.” Eurasian Geography and Economics 62 (3): 347-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2020.1861957.

Civil Georgia. 2020. “Parliament Adopts Foreign Policy Resolution.” December 29, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://civil.ge/archives/389351.

Civil Georgia. 2023a. “Reactions to Transfer of Occupied Abkhazia’s Bichvinta Dacha to Russia.” December 27, 2023. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://civil.ge/archives/575845.

Civil Georgia. 2023b. “IRI Poll Shows Strong Support of Georgian Citizens for EU and NATO Membership.” November 16, 2023. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://civil.ge/archives/569681.

Euronews. 2024. “Unrest erupts in Abkhazia after opponents of Russian 'investments' agreement are detained.” November 12, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/12/unrest-erupts-in-abkhazia-after-opponents-of-russian-investments-agreement-are-detained.

European Parliament. 2024. European Parliament resolution of 9 October 2024 on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (2024/2822(RSP)). 9 October 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-10-2024-0017_EN.html.

Gabrichidze, Gaga. 2021. “Chapter 10 The Legal Systems of Georgia’s Breakaway Regions: International and European Considerations.” In: Unrecognized Entities: Perspectives in International, European and Constitutional Law, edited by Benedikt C. Harzl and Roman Petrov, 229-248. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004499102_012.

German, Tracey. 2016. “Russia and South Ossetia: Conferring Statehood or Creeping Annexation?” Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 16 (1): 155-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2016.1148411.

Hille, Charlotte. 2010. “9. The Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: A New Era in International Law.” In: Exploring the Caucasus in the 21st Century: Essays on Culture, History and Politics in a Dynamic Context, edited by Françoise Companjen, László Marácz, and Lia Versteegh, 195-210. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1515/9789048511624-012.

Hopmann, Philip Terrence. 2025. Operational Conflict Prevention in Georgia—South Ossetia and Abkhazia, 1991–2008. In: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at 50: Conflict Management During and After the Cold War. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 259-275. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86916-7_14.

Hosaka, Sanshiro. 2025. A Mountain to Climb: Russia’s Influence in the South Caucasus and EU Policy Options.” International Centre for Defence and Security. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://icds.ee/static/icds_report_a_mountain_to_climb_sanshiro_hosaka_january_2025.pdf.

House of Commons. 2024. “The impact of Georgia’s ‘foreign influence’ law.” 16 October, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10047/.

Human Rights Watch. 2025. “Georgia: Drop Repressive ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill: Proposed Law Threatens Civil Society Amid Human Rights Crisis.” March 26, 2025. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/26/georgia-drop-repressive-foreign-agents-bill.

IRI. 2023. “IRI Georgia Poll Finds Support for EU Accession High, Weariness of Russian Presence, Lack of Faith in Political Parties.” April 25, 2023. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.iri.org/news/iri-georgia-poll-finds-support-for-eu-accession-high-weariness-of-russian-presence-lack-of-faith-in-political-parties/.

Jones, Stephen. 2025. “The People vs Georgian Dream: Who Will Win in 2025?” Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University, January 21, 2025. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/people-vs-georgian-dream-who-will-win-2025.

Kikalishvili, Shalva. 2023. “Russian Intervention in the Georgian-Abkhazian Conflict: A History of Tensions and Turmoil.” Cogent Arts & Humanities 10 (1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2220216.

MFA of the RF. 2024a. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the High-Level Week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, New York, September 28, 2024. https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1972854/.

MFA of the RF. 2024b. “Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meetings with Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Sergey Shamba and Foreign Minister of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev.” October 4, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/brics/1974399/.

Miklasová, Júlia. 2024. Chapter 13. Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In: Secession in International Law with a Special Reference to the Post-Soviet Space. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 479-528. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004702646_020.

OC Media. 2022. “Abkhazia’s youth protest the Pitsunda dacha deal.” October 3, 2022. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://oc-media.org/abkhazias-youth-protest-the-pitsunda-dacha-deal/.

OC Media. 2024. “Explainer: How a controversial investments agreement led to the downfall of the Abkhazian president.” November 22, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://oc-media.org/explainer-how-a-controversial-investments-agreement-led-to-the-downfall-of-the-abkhazian-president/.

Potier, Tim. 2001a. “Chapter 6. Abkhazia.” In: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004478169_010

Potier, Tim. 2001b. “Chapter 7. South Ossetia.” In: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, pp. 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004478169_011.

Selivanova, Galina. 2025. “Election Monitoring Civil Society Organizations in Georgia in Times of Democratization and Autocratization.” In: Strategic Disputes in the Black Sea Region: European vs. Regional Perspectives, edited by Wolfram Hilz, and Shushanik Minasyan-Ostermann, 195-232. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-46531-5_11.

Solovyov, Vladimir. 2024. “With a Controversial New Law, Georgia Invites Bids From Russia and the EU.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, June 5, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2024/05/georgia-russia-vs-west?lang=en.

Transparency International Georgia. 2023. “Georgia’s Economic Dependence on Russia Continues to Grow: January-June 2023.” 2September 29, 2023. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.transparency.ge/en/post/georgias-economic-dependence-russia-continues-grow-january-june-2023.

Tsurtsumia, Zura. 2024. “The Issue of Confederation and the Restoration of Territorial Integrity in Georgian, Abkhazian, Ossetian, and Russian Official and Public Discussions” Social Justice Center, December 19, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://socialjustice.org.ge/en/products/konfederatsiisa-da-teritoriuli-mtlianobis-aghdgenis-sakitkhi-kartul-afkhazur-osur-da-rusul-ofitsialur-da-sazogadoebriv-diskusiebshi.

U.S. Department of State. 2009. United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, January 9, 2009. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://2021-2025.state.gov/united-states-georgia-charter-on-strategic-partnership/.

Venice Commission. 2024. “Georgia urgent opinion on the law on transparency of foreign influence. Issued on 21 May 2024 pursuant to Article 14a of the Venice Commission’s Revised Rules of Procedure.” European Commission for Democracy through Law, May 21, 2024. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-PI(2024)013-e.

Downloads

Published

2025-10-30

Issue

Section

Regional Policy

How to Cite

Vardazaryan, M. ., & Vardazaryan, E. . (2025). The difficult European path to settling Russian-Georgian relations in post-election Georgia in 2024: a rollback on European integration or the unacceptability of confrontation. Journal of Political Science: Bulletin of Yerevan University, 4(2(11), 78-90. https://doi.org/10.46991/JOPS/2025.4.11.078

Similar Articles

11-20 of 95

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.