What happens when a “success-story democracy” starts moving backwards? In this Moldova Security Forum interview, Irakli Porchkhidze from the Georgian Institute for Strategic Studies explains how Georgia went from being a poster child of reforms to a case of democratic backsliding and state capture, where institutions are undermined, pluralism is eroded, and critical voices – NGOs, media, activists – are increasingly constrained. His message for the Republic of Moldova is crystal clear: do not take your democracy and EU path for granted. They must be defended every day through strong institutions, better governance, continued reforms and a firm rejection of Russian influence. Moldova is currently on the right track, but Georgia’s experience shows how quickly things can reverse when staying in power becomes more important than national interests and European values. Watch the interview here:
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This material was produced with financial support from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Swedish MFA) and the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Its content is the sole responsibility of the European Institute for Development Policy (EURODEV) in partnership with PISA and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs or the GMF.
