The messenger logo

How would you assess the five years since the Rose Revolution?

Monday, November 24
“During this period Georgia has developed rapidly and the world has introduced us to its family.”
Eka, student, 19

“The final loss of our territories as a result of war is the distinguishing feature.”
Nino, pensioner, 67

“Hope has come to Georgians. Territorial integrity has become the main purpose for our generation and democracy has become more obvious.”
Zura, musician, 21

“These years have been quite difficult for the country. We lost more territories then we had before. Although wages rose, poverty still remains the number one problem. I don’t think these 5 years have been successful.”
Dato, lawyer, 47

“I think our international image is stronger now than before, but this isn’t enough. There are a lot of other problems that we were promised 5 years ago would be solved, but they aren’t solved yet.”
Dea, student, 20

“I cannot say these five years were either good or bad. We went through the war and got more IDPs than we had before, experienced the November 7 events, lost our free media. But we can also see that economically the country became stronger, we don’t have such elementary problems as a lack of electricity and we have the chance of joining NATO.”
Maia, engineer, 45

“The first period after the Revolution was good, people had great hope that change had finally come to the country. However now five years have passed we are in an even worse situation than in 2003.”
Lado, doctor, 42

“Everything was more or less fine, until this summer. The war has cancelled all the achievements of this Government, because now we have only a fictional possibility of regaining Abkhazia and Ossetia.”
Grigol, baker, 55

“The revolution brought many reforms and innovations to Georgia, some of them really needed. After more than 10 years of stagnation Georgia moved towards development in 2003. However now, after the war, even more effort is needed to keep Georgia on its course.”
Ketevan, teacher, 32