Euro-Atlantic Discourse in Georgia: The Making of Georgian Foreign and Domestic Policy After the Rose Revolution

203 Pages·2016·2.405 MB·English

by  Frederik Coene

EURO-ATLANTIC DISCOURSE IN GEORGIA
Post-Soviet Politics
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Euro-Atlantic
Discourse in Georgia
The Making of Georgian Foreign and Domestic Policy
After the Rose Revolution
FREDERIK COENE
First published 2016 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2016 Frederik Coene
The right of Frederik Coene to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only
for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Names: Coene, Frederik.
Title: Euro-Atlantic discourse in Georgia : the making of Georgian foreign
and domestic policy after the Rose Revolution / by Frederik Coene.
Description: Burlington, VT : Ashgate Publishing Company, 2016. | Series:
Post-Soviet politics | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015029847| ISBN 9781472454607 (hardback : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781472454614 (ebook) | ISBN 9781472454621 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Georgia (Republic)–Foreign relations–European Union
countries. | European Union countries–Foreign relations–Georgia
(Republic) | Georgia (Republic)–Foreign relations–1991- | North Atlantic
Treaty Organization–Georgia (Republic) | Georgia (Republic)–Politics and
government–1991-
Classification: LCC JZ1710.A54 C64 2016 | DDC 327.47580182/1–dc23 LC record
ISBN: 978-1-472-45460-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-58078-4 (ebk)
Dedicated to my parents
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Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
List of Abbreviations xiii
1 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 1
2 Georgia and its Euro-Atlantic Orientation 19
3 The Georgian Europeanness 63
4 Euro-Atlantic Discourse as a Legitimacy Management Strategy 97
5 The Euro-Atlantic Community as a New Patron 145
Conclusion and Outlook 161
Bibliography 165
Index 183
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Preface
After gaining independence in 1991, Georgia and its leadership had to find
their place in the international system. Against the background of domestic
constraints and external challenges, the orientation of the country’s foreign
policy was not stable, as the political elite struggled to balance between Russia
and the West. After the 2003 Rose Revolution, especially as relations with
Russia were souring, the Euro-Atlantic orientation, portrayed as a single and
coherent strategy, became the cornerstone of foreign policy as well as a model
for domestic reforms. This promise of a prosperous future offered a new hope
to the Georgian population and seemed unconditionally trusted by politicians in
the West. Scepticism or critical thinking towards President Saakashvili and his
government were equated to pro-Russian treason, creating a precarious situation
where any government action had to be accepted as being in the interest of the
population. This approach has undoubtedly led to an impressive number of
positive changes, but there have also been some doubtful manipulations.
The Euro-Atlantic orientation and impressive reforms emerged simultaneously
with an outspoken rhetoric and active symbolism. References to Europe and the
Euro-Atlantic structures became ubiquitous, as European flags were brandished
throughout the country. And almost all reforms and infrastructure programmes
were promoted as being modelled along ‘European standards’. In addition to the
ruling political elite, opposition and civil society figures constantly referenced
‘Europe’, and to a smaller extent various Euro-Atlantic structures, in their
speeches and publications. This Euro-Atlantic promise, symbolism, and obsession
have galvanised some and aggravated others. The role of the ‘Europeanness’ of the
Georgian nation plays a central role in this process and has puzzled many analysts
and scholars. For example, Pål Kolstø and Aleksander Rusetskii asked: ‘Why is
this European identity so urgent?’1
Having worked in and with Georgia for a decade, I decided to take a closer
look at this phenomenon. This book is the result of the four years of research that
followed.
1 Pål Kolstø and Aleksander Rusetskii, ‘Power differentials and identity formation:
images of self and other on the Russian–Georgian boundary’, National Identities, Vol. 14,
No. 2 (2012): 144.