Economist Archil Iakobashvili says that the main reason for the significant deterioration of Georgia's position in The Economist's index is political instability. Accordingly, the only way to improve the situation in the country is to hold early elections.
"[Increasing the index] requires reducing political risks and increasing political stability. Elections are a means of achieving political stability, and elections are also a means of transitioning to democracy. Almost all countries that The Economist monitors when calculating the index, including authoritarian regimes, hold elections, but the question arises whether the country will transition to a democratic outcome as a result of the elections. That is, whether there is a capable government with a strong opposition. If such a democratic outcome is achieved, then the quality will increase again. In 2013-2016, Georgia was closest to moving to the democratic group, because the country was governed by a coalition government and had a strong opposition," Iakobashvili said.
In the 2024 Democracy Index by the British publication The Economist, Georgia suffered its sharpest decline in its history. Georgia's score deteriorated by 0.51 to 4.70, moving the country from 89th place in 2023 to 94th place.
