New ENP priorities towards Georgia after the August crisis?

More than two months after the August war, Georgia’s international and domestic politics remain in a state of turmoil. On 27 October, President Saakashvili announced the replacement of Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze. Several opposition groups mobilise for a large-scale manifestation in Tbilisi on 7 November, the first anniversary of a similar protest in 2007 which was violently stopped by police forces, thereby indicating the end of the truce in the immediate wake of the August crisis.

EU policies towards Georgia are currently being dominated by reconstruction and stabilisation efforts. In this vein, the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) was launched on 1 October and EU Special Representative Pierre Morel tries to broker Georgian-Russian peace talks in Geneva. Additionally, during the 22 October international donor conference in Brussels the EU pledged up to ¤ 500 million reconstruction assistance. Contrary to other donors, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner made clear that this should not be given as budget aid but be tied to conditions concerning democratisation, modernisation of the legal system and freedom of the press.

Crucial questions in the present situation therefore include: How can such conditionality be shaped? How does this affect efforts under the ENP Action plan for Georgia, in which civil society actors already detect an important implementation deficit? How to achieve a balance between the need for state- and nation-building in a difficult environment and fostering a pluralistic democracy?