Georgian Dream’s Power Grab Sets Stage to Outlaw Opposition

The Republic of Georgia continues its democratic backslide under Georgian Dream, the country’s authoritarian ruling party, which is sympathetic to Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran and antagonistic to Washington and Brussels. On October 16, Georgia’s parliament, controlled by Georgian Dream, passed a legislative package that broadens the party’s powers to repress dissent and crack down on the country’s pro-Western opposition. Used aggressively, the new powers could enable Georgian Dream to bar key opposition leaders from any form of political participation.

Legal Mechanism Behind Georgian Dream’s Escalating Crackdown

Under existing Georgian law, a political party can have its registration annulled if the country’s Constitutional Court — now fully controlled by Georgian Dream — deems the party’s registration or actions to be unconstitutional. The legislation passed by parliament last week amends that law to allow for individuals associated with a banned party to be disqualified from engaging in political activities. Those individuals would be prevented from establishing or joining parties, holding public office, or taking part in elections.

The legislation also includes amendments allowing for various other repressive measures, such as jail time for repeat protest-related offenses and fines on parties that resist court rulings. These measures follow legislation passed in May that granted the Constitutional Court the authority to ban groups whose goals or leadership resemble those of parties previously banned for ostensibly threatening Georgia’s constitutional order.

In parallel with last week’s legislation, Georgian Dream stated it would seek a Constitutional Court ruling against the “collective United National Movement.” The United National Movement (UNM) is one of Georgia’s most prominent opposition parties, founded by the pro-Western but controversial former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently a political prisoner. UNM came to power following the 2003 Rose Revolution before being defeated by Georgian Dream in 2012.

According to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream intends to go after not only UNM but also other opposition parties. In September, a Georgian Dream member of parliament presented a 470-page report condemning the Rose Revolution as a “coup” and accusing the erstwhile UNM government of wrongdoing, building the legal pretext to ban UNM and other enemies of the regime.

Ivanishvili’s Shadow Rule and the Authoritarian Drift

The most recent legislative package lands amid fresh public mobilization against the government after the contentious October 4 municipal elections, which opposition blocs largely boycotted as illegitimate. The European Parliament had already deemed an earlier Georgian election, the 2024 parliamentary vote, “neither free nor fair.” International observers cited pressure on voters and an uneven playing field.

Georgian Dream’s move to ban the opposition is the logical next step in its years-long crackdown against media, NGOs, and protesters. Georgian civil society, along with international media, have chronicled freezes on bank accounts, raids, and punitive fines aimed at deterring dissent. This escalating campaign of repression has allowed Georgian Dream and its billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili — the country’s richest man — to consolidate power while steering Georgia away from the West. Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, currently holds no formal public office but continues to rule the country from behind the scenes.

By making dissent personally costly and organizationally impossible, Ivanishvili is engineering a durable mechanism to hollow out Georgia’s political pluralism and ensure his grip on power.

The U.S. Should Sanction Georgian Dream

Georgia’s creep toward one-party rule jeopardizes its EU and NATO future and emboldens authoritarian influences in the Black Sea and South Caucasus, an arena where Russia, China, and Iran seek to grow their influence at the expense of the West. Washington must make it clear that Georgian Dream will face consequences for its incipient authoritarianism.

For starters, the Treasury Department should build on the 2024 U.S. sanctions designation against Ivanishvili by tracing and then targeting his assets. The U.S. government should also implement sweeping, targeted financial sanctions and visa bans against other individuals and organizations affiliated with Georgian Dream, including party propagandists, financiers, and the entities that launder their money. Washington should also prepare to impose secondary sanctions on third-country actors that help Georgian Dream evade restrictions or move funds.

Keti Korkiya is a research analyst in the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Keti and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.