neoliberalism

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development

Opinion | Everything that makes Tbilisi ‘exciting’ is just a façade

by Bakar Berekashvili

•6 min read

Georgia’s capitalist transformation has created a new social and political order imbued with the spirit of social Darwinism, and Tbilisi is a city emblematic of this post-communist order. The social injustice and poverty generated by this order, however, is disguised in Georgia’s capital by a façade of development. Tbilisi is a city of extremes, where rich and poor live side-by-side. This is typical of a post-soviet, capitalistic city: full of dramatic contrasts. The spirit of the new ca

banking

Opinion | Bank reforms touted by Georgia’s Prime Minister–to-be could spell the end of predatory lending

by Tato Khundadze

•7 min read

Just two months after announcing sweeping reforms of Georgia’s banks, 36-year-old Finance Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze looks set to become the new Prime Minister. While the country’s banks have become among the most profitable in the world, they have done so at the expense of ordinary Georgians. If Bakhtadze and his replacement at the finance ministry follow through on these reforms, they could be the first step in addressing some of Georgia’s most pressing economic woes. The remarkable ri