Europeanisation of party financing in the Republic of Georgia: an illusion or a reality?

Public funding of political parties can represent a ‘blessing’ or a ‘curse’ for the functioning of a democratic system, for ensuring political pluralism and democratic consolidation. This paper examines the legislative changes regarding party financing in the Republic of Georgia in accordance with the European standards and procedures. Specifically, the paper examines the degree of compliance of Georgian legislation with Council of Europe and OSCE standards on party financing. The analysis of the legislative framework on political party financing is made following three main aspects: public funding, private financing, and electoral campaign financing. The paper follows two main time periods: Saakashvlili’s governing (2003 - 2012) and post-Saakashvili period (2012-2015). It presents an evaluation of the implementation of Council of Europe and OSCE recommendations on party financing within the Georgian legislation, highlighting the key factors from the domestic and the European levels that determine the final result, as well as the implications of the legislative changes for the political processes in Georgia. The paper represents a significant contribution to the Europeanisation literature by investigating the policies and the mechanisms for promoting European democratic standards outside EU members and candidates, particularly within the East European neighborhood.