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UID:25289@offbeat.amsterdam
SUMMARY:Georgia: On the Brink of Oligarchy
DTSTAMP:20260727T183300Z
DTSTART:20260916T170000Z
DESCRIPTION:Georgia is a country that stands at a crossroads. Will it choos
	e closer\nintegration with the European Union\, as a large share of the po
	pulation desires?\nOr will it deepen its relationship with Putin’s Russia\
	, as the country’s\noligarchic elite prefers? In conversation with Hans Gu
	tbrod.\n\nRecent Georgian history offers important lessons about developme
	nts affecting\nall of Europe. In many ways\, Georgia served as Putin’s tes
	ting ground\,\nforeshadowing the events that would later unfold in Ukraine
	. After the Caucasus\nnation chose a pro-European course\, Putin launched 
	a war against Georgia. To\nthis day\, Russia continues to occupy part of t
	he country.\n\nThe current Georgian government has adopted a pro-Russian s
	tance\, with the\nwealthy oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili playing a powerful 
	behind-the-scenes role.\nDespite massive public protests\, the government 
	pushed through the so-called\n‘foreign agents’ law\, modeled on Russian le
	gislation. Critics fear this marks\nthe beginning of a broader effort to s
	ilence independent media and opposition\nmovements.\n\nWith political scho
	lar Hans Gutbrod\, we speak about the future of Georgia\, and\nwhat that i
	mplies for the wider region and Europe. Will Georgia ultimately slide\nint
	o oligarchic rule\, or will the country\, still an official candidate for 
	EU\nmembership\, find its place in Europe?\n\nAbout Hand Gutbrod\nHans Gut
	brod is a German-born academic and consultant in policy research. He has\n
	been working in the Caucasus region since 1999 and currently is a professo
	r at\nTbilisi’s Ilia State University. His recent book Ethics of Political
	\nCommemoration: Towards a New Paradigm (with David Wood\, 2023) proposes 
	that the\njust war tradition can help to order public debates on remembran
	ce.
URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/georgia-on-the-brink-of-oligarchy
GEO:52.3630433;4.8828596
LOCATION:De Balie - Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10\, 1017 RR Amsterdam
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,books,geopolitiek & mensenrechten,leidseplein
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:<p><strong>Georgia is a country that stands at
	 a crossroads. Will it choose closer integration with the European Union, 
	as a large share of the population desires? Or will it deepen its relation
	ship with Putin’s Russia, as the country’s oligarchic elite prefers? In co
	nversation with Hans Gutbrod</strong>.</p> <p>Recent Georgian history offe
	rs important lessons about developments affecting all of Europe. In many w
	ays, Georgia served as Putin’s testing ground, foreshadowing the events th
	at would later unfold in Ukraine. After the Caucasus nation chose a pro-Eu
	ropean course, Putin launched a war against Georgia. To this day, Russia c
	ontinues to occupy part of the country.</p> <p>The current Georgian govern
	ment has adopted a pro-Russian stance, with the wealthy oligarch Bidzina I
	vanishvili playing a powerful behind-the-scenes role. Despite massive publ
	ic protests, the government pushed through the so-called ‘foreign agents’ 
	law, modeled on Russian legislation. Critics fear this marks the beginning
	 of a broader effort to silence independent media and opposition movements
	. </p> <p>With political scholar Hans Gutbrod, we speak about the future o
	f Georgia, and what that implies for the wider region and Europe. Will Geo
	rgia ultimately slide into oligarchic rule, or will the country, still an 
	official candidate for EU membership, find its place in Europe?</p> <p><st
	rong>About Hand Gutbrod</strong><br>Hans Gutbrod is a German-born academic
	 and consultant in policy research. He has been working in the Caucasus re
	gion since 1999 and currently is a professor at Tbilisi’s Ilia State Unive
	rsity. His recent book <em>Ethics of Political Commemoration: Towards a Ne
	w Paradigm</em> (with David Wood, 2023) proposes that the just war traditi
	on can help to order public debates on remembrance.</p>
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