EU Report Highlights Oligarchic Influence Risks in Georgia

A new report from the European Center for Anti-Corruption and State Building Research highlights that Georgia still faces significant vulnerabilities linked to concentrated wealth and political influence.

As the report states, the country has only two billionaires, yet their combined assets amount to more than 10% of Georgia’s GDP. Experts note that the scale of this wealth, along with the fact that one of the billionaires financially supports the ruling political party, creates conditions in which oligarchic leverage can shape political and institutional dynamics, The Caspian Post reports, citing Georgia Today.

The researchers also point to a decline in media freedom, identifying it as a factor that weakens checks on power and limits public scrutiny. At the same time, the report finds that Georgia’s budget transparency has neither meaningfully improved nor deteriorated, remaining largely stable in recent years.

Overall, the center concludes that these risks show the need for continued oversight, stronger safeguards and targeted reforms to reduce the potential for oligarchic influence within the country’s governance system.