Freedom House has released its report on global elections held in 2024, highlighting concerns over the state of democracy in countries around the world, including Georgia. The report concluded that Georgia is no longer classified as an electoral democracy.
The term “electoral democracy” refers to elections that are free, fair, and transparent, with ensured rights to vote and freedom of expression. According to Freedom House, Georgia no longer meets these fundamental standards, marking a significant shift from its previous status as an electoral democracy.
This shift in classification contrasts with Georgia’s status in the 2023 report by the V-Dem Institute, which still recognized the country as an electoral democracy. However, the V-Dem Institute’s 2024 report now designates Georgia as an “electoral autocracy,” signaling growing concerns over the erosion of democratic practices in the country.
The Freedom House report also highlighted the troubling trend of election-related violence. Out of 66 countries where elections were held in 2024, the report noted that the most common form of violence involved attacks on election candidates, which occurred in 27 countries. Furthermore, the report mentioned that violence also erupted in 11 countries during post-election protests.
Georgia was specifically mentioned alongside Mozambique, with the report stating that “security forces used disproportionate force against protesters” in both nations.
