Georgian Institute of Public Affairs

ABSTRACT Conspiracy theories have become a persistent feature of contemporary politics. In the wake of the 2022 Russia – Ukraine war, the ruling Georgian Dream party advanced what it calls the “Global War Party” While the conspiracy theory draws on familiar anti-Western narratives, it also introduces distinctive features by portraying hidden elites as simultaneously prolonging the conflict abroad and undermining Georgia’s sovereignty at home. This article proposes an analytical framework for studying the internal structure of such conspiracies, focusing on three elements: the actors involved, the objectives attributed to them, and the strategies through which they are said to operate. Drawing on a dataset of political quotations reported in leading Georgian media between 2022 and 2024, the analysis shows how the Global War Party discourse fuses global and domestic dimensions in ways that reinforce the government’s populist positioning. The findings underline the hybrid character of the Global War Party conspiracy – derivative yet unique – and demonstrate the value of the proposed framework for advancing comparative research on conspiratorial populism.

ABSTRACT This paper questions how political and media actors instrumentalise the Europeanisation discourse as a major mechanism of polarisation in Georgia. For this purpose, we link the three “logics of action” related to the strategic usage of Europeanisation with “interpretative” and “positional” aspects of affective polarisation. We address the subject matter through the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The findings reveal that the discourse of deviation from the European course has been shaping both political and media polarisation in Georgia since 2021. By enacting respective blame games, political and media actors from the governmental and oppositional camps have reinforced affective polarisation in Georgia.

Conflict deeply affects human experiences, frequently testing individual resilience to its breaking point and leaving enduring psychological and societal wounds. The current conflict in Ukraine, initiated by Russia's invasion in 2022, illustrates this phenomenon by altering regional relationships and triggering a major humanitarian crisis marked by extensive displacement, loss of life, and emotional turmoil. This study explores the factors influencing hope and distress in Ukraine alongside six nearby European countries during the ongoing conflict. A cross-sectional survey collected data primarily via internet panel samples from the Czech Republic, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine in the second year since the war's initiation. The current study utilised validated instruments, collecting data on levels of hope, distress, individual resilience, community resilience, societal resilience, morale, sense of danger, perceived security threats, and demographic characteristics. Hope and distress levels differ across countries, with Ukraine exhibiting the highest levels of both (3.74±1.02 and 2.89±0.87, respectively). Overall, average scores of hope were higher than average distress levels. Across the regression models for the seven countries, hope showed strong associations with individual (between β=0.089 and β=0.327) and societal resilience (between β=0.206 and β=0.514), while morale (between β=-0.104 and β=-0.479) and individual resilience (between β=-0.077 and β=-0.335) displayed a protective relationship against distress (all β values were significant, p<0.01). Monitoring hope and distress is crucial during the Russian-Ukrainian war and other adversities, as these factors give insight into the current and future psychological states of affected populations. The results offer valuable information that can guide the development of tailored strategies to enhance hope and buffer distress in war-impacted countries, as well as those experiencing its broader effects. Fostering individual and societal resilience, alongside enhancing morale, may strengthen hope and mitigate distress amid adversity. Developing targeted interventions that address each population's unique needs, as well as their sociocultural and geopolitical contexts can enhance efficacy.

This article examines the Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) as an innovative mechanism within Georgia’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system. As large-scale infrastructure projects proliferate globally, effective and timely dispute resolution becomes essential. While ADR mechanisms like arbitration and mediation are well-established, the DAB has emerged as a crucial tool, especially in projects backed by international financial institutions. Despite its growing importance, the DAB remains underregulated in Georgia, leading to challenges in its application. The study explores the evolution of the DAB, tracing its roots from the United States in the 1970s to its current international recognition, particularly within the FIDIC contract framework. It highlights how Georgia has begun integrating DABs into its legal landscape, despite the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework. Through a comparative analysis of international and Georgian practices, the paper identifies key distinctions between the DAB and other ADR mechanisms, emphasizing the unique role of the DAB as a pre-arbitration step that ensures the continuation of project work while disputes are resolved. The research also addresses the enforceability of DAB decisions, examining contractual obligations and the challenges of ensuring compliance. By analyzing case law and arbitration practices, both globally and within Georgia, the paper underscores the need for clearer guidelines, and the potential for judicial and arbitration support to solidify the DAB’s role in the Georgian legal system. In conclusion, the paper advocates for the broader adoption of DABs in Georgia, recommending the development of a legal framework aligned with international standards to enhance the effectiveness of this dispute resolution method. This will not only benefit the country’s infrastructure development, but also strengthen its position in the global market by aligning with international best practices.

The article aims to identify the complex challenges of the legal regulation of gifts within the of public service dimension and how these challenges, in turn, impact the efficacy of the governance process. Under the existing legal arrangement in Georgia, there has always been a problem of clear regulation/enforcement of the norms governing the issue of gifts, has consistently impeded the realization of an efficient and effective governance system. This article delves into the essential conditions that must be met for the proper regulation of gift-giving, evaluates the risks associated with this practice, and elucidates effective mechanisms for mitigating these risks. Furthermore, it underscores the crucial need for well-defined legal norms and the establishment of robust enforcement mechanisms as its propulsive factor. This study has encompassed an exhaustive examination and synthesis of legislation governing the exchange of gifts, alongside comprehensive analysis of scholarly works and manuals. In the pursuit of these objectives, both general and specialized research methods, including but not limited to analytical, synthetic, systematic and comparative legal methods were meticulously employed to process the retrieved information.

Over the past three decades, there has been a significant rise in female migration globally, a trend also evident in Georgia. The 2014 general population census in Georgia revealed a higher number of female migrants compared to male migrants, with many women engaging in care work in countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy. This study aims to examine the challenges that returned women migrants face in Georgian society, focusing on their reintegration at the micro (family), mezzo (community), and macro (labour market) levels. Utilising a qualitative research approach, the study involved in-depth interviews with seven returned women migrants and five daughters of migrant mothers who remained in migration. Additionally, ethnographic analysis of Facebook posts and comments provided further insights into the reintegration experiences of ex-migrants. The research sought to understand the factors that facilitate or hinder the reintegration process, including the impact of separation periods and family members' experiences during migration and the reasons for returning from migration. The findings indicate that reintegration is a complex process influenced by various factors. On the labour market level, returned migrants face significant challenges due to their age, deskilling, and the new labour market dynamics that emerged during their absence. Due to unfamiliarity and limited resources, many prefer to continue working in care roles, which they performed abroad. On the community level, cultural and behavioural differences between the host and home countries complicate resocialisation. Social inequality and a perceived decline in service standards also hinder reintegration. Long-term migration has significantly altered family dynamics at the family level, making it difficult for returnees to readjust. Increased irritability and feelings of exclusion are common among returnees, Georgian Scientists/ . 6 N 3, 2024 134 who struggle to reintegrate into family roles and responsibilities. Families' financial dependence on remittances further complicates the reintegration process. Despite these challenges, continuous communication with family members and the support of relatives can facilitate reintegration. From a functionalist perspective, the reintegration challenges are seen as disruptions to the social equilibrium, where returning migrants struggle to reclaim their former roles and functions within the societal system.

Abstract AimsWe introduce ReSurveyEurope — a new data source of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe, compiled by a collaborative network of vegetation scientists. We describe the scope of this initiative, provide an overview of currently available data, governance, data contribution rules, and accessibility. In addition, we outline further steps, including potential research questions.ResultsReSurveyEurope includes resurveyed vegetation plots from all habitats. Version 1.0 of ReSurveyEurope contains 283,135 observations (i.e., individual surveys of each plot) from 79,190 plots sampled in 449 independent resurvey projects. Of these, 62,139 (78%) are permanent plots, that is, marked in situ, or located with GPS, which allow for high spatial accuracy in resurvey. The remaining 17,051 (22%) plots are from studies in which plots from the initial survey could not be exactly relocated. Four data sets, which together account for 28,470 (36%) plots, provide only presence/absence information on plant species, while the remaining 50,720 (64%) plots contain abundance information (e.g., percentage cover or cover–abundance classes such as variants of the Braun‐Blanquet scale). The oldest plots were sampled in 1911 in the Swiss Alps, while most plots were sampled between 1950 and 2020.ConclusionsReSurveyEurope is a new resource to address a wide range of research questions on fine‐scale changes in European vegetation. The initiative is devoted to an inclusive and transparent governance and data usage approach, based on slightly adapted rules of the well‐established European Vegetation Archive (EVA). ReSurveyEurope data are ready for use, and proposals for analyses of the data set can be submitted at any time to the coordinators. Still, further data contributions are highly welcome.

This paper engages with the early years of the post-Soviet transition to a market economy, beyond the unfulfilled democratization and marketization narratives of the transition literature. I examine the functioning of the Georgian central bank (National Bank of Georgia) in the context of the hyperinflation of 1993-1994, and pursue the question of how the bank underwent a process of transformation and acquired new meaning. I thereby reinterpret the history of the central bank and conceptualize change in the process of transition, at the same time reframing the meaning of legacies in this process. Drawing on the discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe, I see the central bank of Georgia as a floating signifier that turned into a split subject, torn between socialism and the liberal imperatives of marketization. This paper describes institutional practices, as well as ideas about central banking, from 1991 to the start of the IMF’s macroeconomic stabilization program in 1994. The hyperinflation of 1993-1994 serves as the main context for analyzing this change. This is a period of openness during the disintegration and dislocation of the Soviet structure, in which struggles for new meanings took place in the transitional space between the weakened hegemony of socialism and liberal transition policies.

In the Late Antiquity, the Caucasus region had become a battle ground for the Byzantines and the Sasanians. The conflict between the two great empires escalated in the 6th century, when both sides overcame internal conflicts and pursued active foreign policies. The Lazic War (541-562 CE), fought on the territory of modern western Georgia, then the Lazic Kingdom, was one of the most important conflicts of the Late Antiquity and an integral part of the unremitting wars of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. The conflict witnessed both sides employing combatant populations residing within the borders of their empires. Among them were the Daylamites, a kin-group from the rugged mountains of northern Iran, just south of the Caspian Sea who had long served as mercenaries for various powers. This article discusses the combat culture, tactics, equipment, and role of the Daylamites in the Sasanian military campaigns in the Caucasus in the 6th century CE.