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| National Awakening (Georgia) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Awakening |
| Country | Georgia |
| Founded | 2000s |
| Leader | Irakli Okruashvili |
| Ideology | Georgian nationalism, conservatism |
National Awakening (Georgia) was a political organization active in the early 21st century in Georgia (country), formed amid post-Soviet transitions and regional realignments involving Tbilisi, Adjara, and Abkhazia. Its emergence intersected with actors from the Rose Revolution, figures connected to Mikheil Saakashvili, and politicians previously associated with Georgian Dream and United National Movement. The movement engaged in electoral contests, coalition negotiations, and public disputes with institutions such as the Parliament of Georgia and the Constitutional Court of Georgia.
The group's formation reflected political currents after the Rose Revolution and reactions to policies by Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab Zhvania, and ministers like Nino Burjanadze and Vano Merabishvili, with roots tracing to intra-elite splits involving Kakha Bendukidze and Giga Bokeria. It arose in a landscape shaped by conflicts over South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and relations with Russia, including precedents set by the 1992–1993 Georgian Civil War and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, while interacting with civil actors such as Rustavi 2 and Imedi TV.
Key founders included politicians associated with regional powerbrokers like Irakli Okruashvili, whose career intersected with cabinets under Zurab Zhvania and administration dynamics involving Salome Zourabichvili and Giorgi Margvelashvili. Leadership drew from parliamentarians formerly in blocs with New Rights Party, Industry Will Save Georgia, and activists linked to Merab Kostava-era dissidents and figures from Tbilisi State University alumni networks. The leadership cadre engaged with municipal actors from Batumi and national figures from Shida Kartli.
The platform emphasized Georgian nationalism framed alongside conservative positions similar to those advocated by Conservative Party (Georgia), promoting policies touching on sovereignty vis-à-vis Russia, policies concerning returnees from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and legal reforms referencing precedents in the Constitution of Georgia. It articulated stances parallel to debates involving Transparency International Georgia, rights groups like Human Rights Centre (Georgia), and think tanks such as the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, while proposing economic measures recalling proposals by Kakha Bendukidze and approaches debated in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
National Awakening contested local and parliamentary contests, competing against lists from United National Movement, Georgian Dream, and smaller parties like Free Democrats (Georgia), Labor Party (Georgia), and Alliance of Patriots of Georgia. Campaigns mobilized in regions including Tbilisi, Imereti, and Guria using media outlets such as Rustavi 2 and platforms associated with activists from Kmara. Electoral outcomes influenced seat distributions in the Parliament of Georgia and shaped committee assignments related to foreign affairs with delegations to bodies like the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
The movement negotiated coalitions with lists tied to New Rights Party, Republican Party of Georgia, and splinter groups from United National Movement, while facing opposition from blocs formed by Georgian Dream and figures allied with Bidzina Ivanishvili. Coalition talks referenced past alliances seen in cabinets under Lado Gurgenidze and were mediated amid pressures involving institutions such as the Central Election Commission of Georgia and civil society networks like Georgian Young Lawyers' Association.
Critics from parties like United National Movement and watchdogs such as Transparency International Georgia accused National Awakening of nationalist rhetoric echoing elements from historical movements associated with figures like Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and of transactional ties to oligarchic networks exemplified by Bidzina Ivanishvili controversies. Legal disputes involved prosecutors and courts including the Tbilisi City Court and appeals concerning allegations of campaign finance irregularities referenced by media outlets such as Imedi TV and investigative journalists linked to OC Media.
The organization's legacy includes influencing debates on sovereignty tied to the 2008 Russo-Georgian War aftermath, shaping nationalist discourse alongside the Conservative Party (Georgia) and Alliance of Patriots of Georgia, and contributing personnel to later cabinets and municipal administrations such as those in Batumi and Tbilisi City Hall. Its actions affected policy dialogues in institutions like the Parliament of Georgia and informed civil society responses from groups including the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association and the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, leaving a footprint on party realignments that continued into cycles dominated by Georgian Dream and United National Movement.
Category:Political parties in Georgia (country)