Indexes

Calm before the Storm: Polarization Index remains stable in September. Despite the upcoming election, Georgia's polarization index remained stable in September. The ruling Georgian Dream party unveiled its candidate list, which included several prominent athletes. Meanwhile, two opposition parties made unsuccessful attempts to form a pre-election coalition. Additionally, leaders of the Georgian Dream party sparked controversy with comments about the 2008 war with Russia.
Interactive chart: shows the polarization decline compared to the previous month
Media (de)Polarization Index - 2020-2024 (as of September 2024)
In January, several significant events marked Georgia's political landscape: journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli's arrest and subsequent hunger strike, an assault on Giorgi Gakharia, Donald Trump's inauguration, the European Union's suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic passport holders, and Georgian Dream's withdrawal from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Political polarization remained at high levels, showing no improvement from previous years.
Following the announcement of suspending EU integration, the level of polarization escalated rapidly, reaching its highest point in recent periods, which was maintained at the beginning of December. Traditionally, the polarization index decreases toward the end of the year as political activity subsides with the approach of the New Year. However, despite a slight decline, the polarization level at the end of the current year remained significantly higher than in the same period of previous years.
Polarization reached its historical maximum on November 28, 2024, following Georgian Dream’s suspension of EU accession talks, which sparked widespread protests across Tbilisi and other cities, accompanied by government-led violence against protesters. This unprecedented peak in the division came after weeks of escalating tensions, including pre-election demonstrations and the controversial nomination of Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer and co-founder of the Eurosceptic People's Power party, as Georgian Dream's presidential candidate.
Historically, pre-election periods have shown heightened polarization, with the index often peaking on election day as tensions rise and public discourse intensifies. However, this election cycle defied expectations, as both the pre-election period and election day were notably calm. While the polarization index remained stable overall, it continues to respond to specific events and shows fluctuations throughout the month.
Despite the fact that political parties had already begun their pre-election campaigns, August was relatively quiet, with less activity and a noticeable decline in media polarisation compared to the previous month.