Eurasianet

The COVID-19 vaccination experiences of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia show that if you’re a small and poor country, you need to rely on powerful friends.

The country’s most powerful man dramatically announces he’s handing over the reins of power to younger lieutenants. But skeptics note that this isn’t the first time he’s done it.

Beyond the memes, nascent democracies are horrified by the violence in Washington, DC.

The country has one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in Europe, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic.

In the early days of the pandemic, Georgia enjoyed one of the most enviable rates in the world. Things began to fall apart in late summer.

After the opposition boycotted the second round, the ruling party’s position became even more commanding.

The visit highlighted disorder at home and America’s waning power abroad.

To some, the victory was marred by the introduction of Russian peacekeepers, but the mood was otherwise celebratory.

Rights activists blasted the authorities' use of force.

International observers said that despite some irregularities, overall the vote was free and competitive. But the losing parties are nevertheless protesting and refusing to enter parliament.

Georgians go to the polls for legislative elections on October 31 after an unexpectedly eventful campaign season.

Even as Georgia’s Armenians and Azerbaijanis have strong feelings about the war next door, they are trying to maintain peaceful ties in the country they share.

Tbilisi has been trying to help its two warring neighbors find a common ground, as it risks spillover from the widening conflict.

The Georgian government’s strict, successful early response earned it political dividends. But with a new outbreak, that success is coming under question.

With their borders still largely closed, Georgians hit the beach and let their guard down. The epidemiological result was inevitable.

The country thought it had escaped the bad old days when neighborhood gangs ruled Tbilisi’s streets. But a teenager’s death has forced Georgians to wonder how far they have really come.

Crowds are flocking to visit a new botanical wonderland that stands as testimony to the sway the billionaire chairman of the country’s ruling party holds over the nation.

A series of unfortunate events appears to be behind the link.

If Georgian Dream wins a third consecutive term as Georgia’s governing party – a feat no party has achieved before – it will largely have COVID-19 to thank.

According to the allegations, Georgia allowed a shipment of Serbian rocket launchers destined for Armenia to transit its territory.

New gender quotas will break up the gentlemen’s club that is the Georgian parliament, but some doubt that the measure will do much to empower women more broadly.

Georgia was one of a select few countries to be approved for travel to the EU in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But the Georgian authorities are taking a pass.

Georgia’s coronavirus prevention efforts have been widely praised. But its treatment strategy also appears to have been a success.

The new law should make it more difficult for the ruling party to hold on to the disproportionate power it now enjoys.

While the country’s volatile politics went to the back burner during the coronavirus pandemic, the opposition is getting into action again with a new unity slate and a planned weekend protest.