Corona Pandemic as an Amplifier of Socio-Economic Crises in Georgia

Abstract

The Coronavirus pandemic is changing our reality, from individuals' daily lives to the global order. A majority of countries worldwide are going through unexpected socio-economic crises while trying to tackle the impacts of the virus. Yet, the pandemic is not only creating new problems, but is also exacerbating existing systemic issues. This paper engages with the case of Georgia and analyses major challenges and the government’s response to the crisis, as well as raising fundamental questions about rethinking the pre-Coronavirus socio-economic and political order. The article argues that, while the Georgian government might be preventing the worst through tackling the immediate causes of the crisis, it is not responding to mid- and long-term challenges of an unsustainable economic model. The Georgian state and its socio-economic order require rethinking now more than ever.