The Parliamentary Election of 2024 in Georgia: A Study of Public Expectations Based on the Example of the City of Gori

Abstract

The topic is highly relevant, as on October 26, 2024, Georgia held its 11thparliamentary election, which are a key event in the country’s path toward Europeanintegration. This is particularly significant following Georgia's receipt of EU candidatestatus in December 2023, which brought the country even closer to the goal outlined inArticle 78 of its Constitution. Therefore, progress in the direction of the European courseis directly dependent on international assessments and reactions. Consequently, it iscrucial to observe every aspect of the elections. This study is novel because mostexisting research on the topic focuses on the broader national level, often neglectingregional contexts. The aim of this research is to examine the pre-election publicexpectations in the city of Gori as a case study. Notably, studying public expectationsduring the pre-election period is a fundamental component of strengthening democraticdiscourse and governance. Pre-election expectations reflect the primary needs andproblems that specific groups within society face. This study discusses the importanceof understanding public expectations before the elections and their impact on theelectoral process, the formulation of party policies, and democratic accountability. Byanalyzing the influence of public expectations, including the social-political context,existing issues, societal needs, media narratives, and candidates' promises, thisresearch identifies factors that significantly shape voters' behavior in the electoralprocess. The paper emphasizes the decisive role of anticipated sentiments in shapingpolitical outcomes and encouraging citizen participation. Furthermore, analyzing publicexpectations offers policymakers insights into strengthening democratic decision-making by considering the opinions and needs of the population. It is also important tonote that the study will provide an understanding of the political culture in the region. Ibelieve that the research will make a significant contribution to the Georgian academiclandscape. The study employs a qualitative approach, with focus groups being theprimary method used alongside other research techniques. I believe that the researchwill also provide recommendations for political parties. On the one hand, it will informpolitical parties about public expectations in the city of Gori, and on the other hand, itwill contribute to translating these expectations into reality and addressing the issuesfaced by broad segments of society.