V-Dem Report Classifies Georgia as 'Electoral Autocracy'
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, March 19, 2026
The V-Dem Institute has once again classified Georgia as an "electoral autocracy" in its Democracy Report 2026, pointing to a steady decline in democratic standards over recent years.
According to the Sweden-based research organization, Georgia's earlier period of democratic progress, marked by improvements in judicial independence, freedom of speech, and civil liberties, ended around 2016. Since then, the report says, the country has experienced a gradual democratic backslide, with a sharper deterioration between 2023 and 2025.
The report places Georgia within a broader regional trend, stating that "autocratization predominates" in Eastern Europe. It identifies Georgia as one of the European Union's neighboring countries undergoing democratic decline, alongside Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine.
A key turning point, according to the report, was the 2024 parliamentary elections. It says the process was "marred with accusations, irregularities, and silencing of the media and the opposition," with several observers describing the vote as "rigged" and influenced by Russia. The outcome of the elections remains disputed, contributing to a deep political crisis in the country.
"The outcome of the 2024 elections is still disputed," the report says, pointing to divisions between the ruling Georgian Dream party, led by Irakli Kobakhidze, and opposition forces backed by Salome Zourabichvili.
Beyond elections, the report raises concerns about weakening democratic institutions. It lists Georgia among 25 countries where the autonomy of election management bodies is increasingly under pressure. It also notes a significant decline in freedom of discussion and a rise in harassment of journalists.
Civil society is another area of concern. The report says governments in dozens of countries are tightening control over non-governmental organizations, with Georgia listed alongside states such as Russia and Mali as adopting more restrictive laws to limit or monitor the work of activists and human rights defenders.
"CSO repression is now second on the top 20 list," the report says, adding that the situation has worsened in many countries undergoing autocratization, including Georgia.
The study also points to declining accountability mechanisms. It says public administration standards are weakening and that legislatures are becoming less effective at overseeing government actions. Georgia is named among countries where parliamentary oversight has deteriorated.
Overall, the report concludes that democratic governance in Georgia has significantly eroded, reflecting a wider global pattern. It warns that democracy has already collapsed in more than half of the countries currently experiencing autocratization, including Georgia, describing a "casualty rate" of 54 percent.
