Statehood and Security: Georgia After the Rose Revolution

by Bruno Coppieters (Editor), Robert Legvold (Editor)

The former Soviet state of Georgia threw off its corrupt and undemocratic government in the "Rose Revolution" of November, 2003. Today, the new government under President Mikheil Saaskashvili faces complex security problems both within and outside Georgia's borders. Statehood and Security looks at the many different layers of these challenges and explores the complicated ways they intersect and influence one another. It argues that Georgia's problems need to be taken seriously by the rest of the world and considers what Georgia, its regional neighbors, and the West can do—within the realm of the politically feasible—to improve the situation in ways that enhance the security of all concerned.

For Georgia, as for the other post-Soviet states, security begins at home. Internal conflicts, including the intractable issue of the reintegration of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, threaten Georgia's territorial integrity. Regional conflict—including the quasi-state of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the effect of the ongoing Chechen insurgency on Russia—defines Georgia's relations with its neighbors and distracts it from its internal problems. The chapters in Statehood and Security, written by both Georgian and non-Georgian authors, examine such topics as Georgian national identity; the inefficacy of state institutions because of corruption, criminal activity, and paramilitary groups; Georgia's troubled relationship with Russia, including Russia's role in Abkhazia; and the role of the West.

Genres: Politics, History

406 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Bruno Coppieters is Associate Professor of Political Science at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coppieters has edited several collections of essays on Georgia, and this is another good addition to that. Looking at post-2003 Georgia, the authors here come from a variety of background (a mix of Georgian and Western), and offer some interesting perspectives. It is a little dated in the context of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, as none of the essays suggest something like that would be possible, but it is interesting to see how Georgia was perceived in the aftermath of the Rose Revolution. While things may not have gone as smoothly as some expected, it gives a good background on Saakashvili-era Georgia, and the issues that were faced by the country.