Ever since Georgia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country has aspired to full membership in European and transatlantic institutions. Saturday’s local elections come at a critical moment: Democratic institutions are under serious stress. And if that weren’t enough, now another crisis looms. On Friday, the authorities announced that they had arrested ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.
Mikheil Saakashvili
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Carl Bildt: Why Saakashvili’s arrest may be one crisis too many for Georgia
This screengrab made from a handout video released by Georgia's Interior Ministry shows former Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili escorted by police officer as he was detained in Tbilisi on Oct. 1, 2021, following his arrest upon his return from exile ahead of local elections in the Caucasus country gripped by a protracted political crisis.
