Georgia: The thorns of the Rose Revolution

In 2003, the Rose Revolution laid the foundations for a democratic regime in Georgia, which made an emphatic turn towards the West.

Today, according to a survey by the US nonprofit International Republican Institute (IRA), an overwhelming majority of the population of the former Soviet republic is in support of Georgia acceding to the European Union.

In November 2003, hundreds of thousands of Georgians took to the streets to demand democracy and reforms. The term "Rose Revolution" derives from a quote by the first Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1939 – 1993), who once said: "Instead of bullets, we will throw roses at our enemies."

Not a drop of blood

The coup took place in the Georgian capital Tbilisi without a drop of blood. On November 22, 2022, demonstrators broke into the parliament and the state chancellery. The next day, President Eduard Shevardnadze announced his resignation.

Political scientist George Mchedlishvili from the European University in Tbilisi, who was about 30 at the time, attended the protests, albeit not every day. "I was very excited and very hopeful," he told DW. "I sympathized with the protesters, sympathized with the prevailing mood." He explained that the overriding sentiment was that the government had "had its day" and "should go." He said that almost the entire nation was ready for reform: "That's why it was successful, and that's why it happened to be bloodless."

Saakashvili won landslide victory

Another demonstrator "armed" with roses was Mikheil Saakashvili, the founder and leader of the center-right United National Movement party. In January 2004, he won over 96% of the votes in the presidential elections. After taking office, he tried to transform the country into a democracy that would set an example for other former Soviet states.

The new government "managed in the first few years to make Georgia into a functioning state because public institutions were extremely inefficient," Mchedlishvili said.

The reforms were supposed to liberalize the economy, reduce bureaucracy, and promote an orientation towards the West. At first, there was apparent success. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International and others, corruption decreased. The economy also grew rapidly, ranking 112th place in 2006 in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index and 7th place in 2020.

Criticism of authoritarian style

But criticism of Saakashvili's authoritarian style of governance began to grow, and mass protests calling for the president's resignation broke out just four years after the Rose Revolution. They were less peaceful than in 2003 and Saakashvili used violence to disperse them. He stepped down on November 25, 2007 to allow for early presidential elections.

However, his absence was short-lived and on January 5, 2008, he won the election with 53% of the vote. But his popularity continued to decline as his reforms faltered.

The United National Movement lost its majority in the 2012 parliamentary elections. And after two terms in office, Saakashvili was not allowed to run in the 2013 presidential election.

An investigation was opened into abuse of power and the former revolutionary hero went into exile. He returned to Georgia in 2021 when he was arrested and jailed.

Contested legacy

Saakashvili's legacy and the Rose Revolution remain contested today. One part of the population sees "Misha" affectionately as a reformer who fought against corruption and afforded new opportunities to the younger generation.

But the current ruling party Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia, is at odds with Saakashvili's United National Movement, which remains the country's biggest opposition party, and regards the Rose Revolution as a negative chapter in the country's history. It has not supported the West's sanctions against Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Tornike Sharashenidze, from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, pointed out that among the Georgian population the perception of the Rose Revolution was generally positive. He predicted that if Saakashvili gave up politics, the "perception of his legacy will be better in 20 or 30 years." He explained that Saakashvili remained the driving force behind the United National Movement despite his imprisonment.

New political blood?

Mchedlishvili said that "new political blood" that would act in the interests of Georgia was now "badly needed." He said that the Rose Revolution would "go down in history" as a case when a "new leadership riding on the crest of popular support" as able to change a "corrupt regime." But he added that "lasting changes are impossible without people." 

On multiple occasions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the release of Saakashvili, who also holds Ukrainian citizenship. In April 2020, he even offered him the position of deputy prime minister. 

This article was translated from German.