Authoritarianization and Democratization: Case of Georgia”

Abstract

Recent studies  reveal the strengthening of authoritarianization in the world. This makes it actual to establish  whether   it is true  or not regarding Georgia. This determines the aim of the article: to establish the enfluence of   interaction between  authoritarianization and democratization on the development of poliitcal regime in Georgia. The main quastion of the research is: how their interaction influence the mode of functioning of public authority in  Georgia. It determines the objectives of the research:  1. Investigation of the evolution of the mode of functioning of the public authority; 2. Detection of the sources of authoritarianization and democratization; 3. Investigation of  the influence of democratization on the  authoritarianization and vice verca.   Methodology of the research includes historical -chronological method and  processual analysis. Three  cycles of democratization and three of authoritarianism are  discerned. Unlike the democratization theories  they are considered as a different phases of the one  and the same process of formation of  democracy – gradual   liberation  of society  from government control.  Authoritarianization is a process of gradual weakening and disappearance of the democratic qualities of the regime. It produces cycles of authoritarianism, but can not stop the developing of democratic potential of the society. Democratic transitions of authoritarian regimes are distinguished  from the transitions from totalitarian ones, which   unlike the transitions in post -Sovier space didn’t face the necessity of the formation of market economy, economic pluralism, corresponding stratification system and private property, which complicated democartic transition in Georgia. Because of this, past dependence of Georgia is stronger. In  post-Soviet Georgia development  of democratic political system lags behind the maturation of democtaric political regime. This produces  cyclical character of democratic transition. Because of this, direct actions become the main factors of development of democracy. Post-Soviet regimes are heirs of mass behaviors, which were formed in the ”old regime”. But the political regime of Georgia  develops independent political behaviours - the basis of direct actions. To study the democratization of Georgia we must  distinguish the political regime from the political system. A Political regime is a mode of functioning of public authority, which takes the forms of authoritarianism, democracy or totalitarianism. A political system is a set of  institutions,  relations  and norms through functioning of which  public policy is produced and implimented.The weak institutions of political mobilization, interest articulation and aggregation outside the state structures  hinders the development of responsible governance. Strong state structures and weak institutions of public control, in terms of relatively strong democratic regime, causes fluctuation between cycles of democratization and authoritarianism, during which the growth of democratic potential continues. The lagging back  of  the development of the democratic political system from   the democratic regime prevents the majority from turning into a minority, and vice versa , which leads to the merging of the ruling party with the state. This is also facilitated by the weak influence of the opposition on the decision-making  in parliament, which significantly reduces its political importance. To strengthen the influence of the opposition, it is necessary to transfer the leadership of some parliamentary committees to it, as envisioned by Charles Michel’s document. The strengthening of the democratic potential of society determines increase in durations of the democratic cycles, but this does not mean a weakening of the authoritarian vector. In the thierd cycle of democratization, which begun in 2012, presure on democratization takes  hidden forms  and operates under the guise of  protecting democracy and sovereignty.  This is determined by the strengthening of democratic potential. In Georgia, democracy is developing in context of confrontation between the democratic and authoritarian vectors, which takes different forms in different phases of political development. Strong democratic potential limits the possibility of exercising explicit authoritarian pressure. The history of the formation of the political regime in Georgia shows that the weaker the democratic potential, the stronger the obvious authoritarian pressure. The USA and EU contribute to the building of democratic potential and protect it. War in Ukraine contributes to the strengthening of authoritarian pressure.