Courses

Mariam Berdzenishvili

European Community Associate

Students For Liberty

Blog Posts

Georgia in Crisis: Why it Matters Globally

December 5, 2024
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Civil Liberties

The small but resilient nation of Georgia is at a crossroads. Once celebrated as a beacon of democracy and free markets in the Caucasus region, the country has witnessed a systematic erosion of its democratic values under the ruling party, Georgian Dream. What began as subtle shifts in governance has escalated into an open rejection of Georgia's Western democratic trajectory, culminating in widespread civil unrest.  Here is what is happening in Georgia and why everyone needs to stand with us. Dangerous Pivot Toward Russia For years, Georgia was lauded for its embrace of free markets

How tax reduction helps combat corruption: lessons from Georgia

November 9, 2023
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Economics

“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results” – Milton Friedman The journey Georgia took to become an independent, free, economically and politically stable country was far from peaceful and straightforward. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the ensuing civil war, the Georgian economy contracted by 65 percent over three years until 1993 — a dramatic economic collapse even by the standards of other former Soviet Union states. From 1992 to 1994, inflation averaged nearly 7,000 percent. As Georgia's relationship

Born from dissent: social movements and the case of Georgia

March 9, 2023
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Civil Liberties

On March 7, 2023, the Georgian parliament passed the “Foreign Agent Law” at its first hearing. This bill involves the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad. This law threatens the right to education, work, free flow of information and other civil liberties for Georgian citizens. The civil society had expressed its discontent about the law prior to the hearing. Impassioned protests took place outside the parliament during the plenary session, and the