
Economic development of the municipalities (outside capital) is one of the key sustainable development challenges in Georgia. The capital city of Tbilisi, while accounting for nearly 1/3 of the country’s population generates 50% of GDP and keeps expanding, whereas the municipalities, with few exceptions, are losing population and suffering from high incidence of poverty, unemployment, and slow and weak economic development.

In the globally very turbulent 2024, Georgia was under the spotlight in the global arena, but not for a good reason and with nothing to celebrate. On the contrary, this spotlight was earned by its government’s risky shift away from the EU trajectory and, post the 26 October Parliamentary election, the powerful, non-stop peaceful street protests of the pro-European population in the capital Tbilisi and other cities, those demanding free and fair new elections.

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.

On Tuesday, 26th November, ISET Policy Institute hosted an insightful seminar by Dr. Christophe Cordonnier, a distinguished international expert in Historical Economics. The event, organized in collaboration with the French Georgian University, took place at ISET in Tbilisi and brought together a diverse audience of academics, students, and professionals.

PMCG and ISET Policy Institute organized a validation workshop for their joint research project "Sub-sector/Value Chain Analysis for Georgian SME Export Growth." The event took place on November 14, 2024, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Tbilisi.