In recent years, Georgia’s democratic institutions have experienced increasing strain, with rising political polarization and challenges to judicial independence signaling an alarming drift towards authoritarianism. The stakes are high not only for Georgia’s future but for the broader European neighborhood, as unchecked democratic backsliding could destabilize the region and undermine the EU’s Eastern Partnership ambitions. European policymakers face a critical choice: either to intensify support for democratic reforms and civil society or risk allowing autocratic tendencies to deepen, weakening trust and cooperation at a pivotal geopolitical moment.

Concrete measures can still make a measurable difference. Experts advocate for a…