Georgia’s Dilemma: A “Thick Line” Policy or Accountability for the Sins of the Old Ruling Elite

Prosecutors’ allegations against former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili have raised concerns in the European Union and the U.S., where he has a reputation as the author of the anti-corruption reforms in Georgia. But in his own country he is perceived as an authoritarian politician and gaining punishment for violations of law from when Saakashvili was president has become the main goal of his opponents who form the Georgian Dream government. The EU should back the reforms of the judicial system in Georgia and offer political and economic support for the government in Tbilisi on the condition they are reliably implemented. The goal of the reforms must be complete independence of the prosecution and the courts from the executive.