When Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich decided not to sign the association agreement with the European Union and instead opted for a Russian package of long-term economic support, many Ukrainians perceived this not to be a purely economic decision. Rather, they feared this to be a renunciation of Western cultural and political values, and – to put it mildly – were not happy about this development.

Last week, we argued that political decision-makers have a tendency to overregulate a society, as new laws, even useless or harmful ones, create the impression that politicians are addressing problems in society. Moreover, we outlined the theory of a military historian who claims that the Red Army was an “overregulated army”, explaining the disproportionate death toll of the Red Army in the Second World War.

Regulations apparently address problems of a society in a quick and uncomplicated way, and the call for regulations, therefore, is one of the most effective weapons in the arsenal of populists. Whether or not regulation will help to solve the problem, in any case, it creates the impression that politicians are doing something.

On February 5, 2014, ISET was pleased to host the German Ambassador to Georgia, H.E. Ortwin Hennig. The Ambassador gave a presentation about democracy and how a democratic country should execute internal and external politics.

The 2012 elections can be regarded as one of the most important events in the political life of Georgia. More so than at any time during the country’s 20-year history of independence, these elections were distinguished by a high level of uncertainty regarding the final results, and fierce competition between the ruling party and its major opponents.