I frequently get questions like: does Georgia belong to Europe? Are Georgians Europeans? Do you feel European? This type of general questions raises intense discussions and disputes between the people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Many extreme Eurocentric colleagues would criticize even for bringing up such a topic and would emotionally defend official foreign policy goals of the country. In fact, Georgia is nowadays looking towards the European Union, which is related to high standards of life, wealth, peace, market economy, and so forth. Considerable number of country’s population supports these aims even though most of them don’t realize that such economic and political benefits come in package with Western liberal democratic norms regarding tolerance and human rights. However, the issue of nation’s self-determination and clash of identities is a separate subject and needs a deeper analysis.

Europeanness vs Post-Sovietness

Back to the belonging of a certain country to one or another regional dimension, many scholars frequently tend to measure Europeanness of post-Soviet states according to their geographical location, historical connections, cultural appropriateness, religious diversity, and political structures. More accurate specialists go even further and study identities, memory conflicts and impacts of globalization on modern societies. However, surveys show that ordinary citizens often avoid academic researches and don’t read boring books on substantially justified theories. As no single integration concept wins the global dispute, popular opinion over such issues gets easily influenced by marginally talking populist heads on TV, newspapers and social media means.

Does Georgia belong to Europe? My answer is – yes, it does, but the issue is very complicated. The reality certainly raises question marks about such Europeanness. I will try to explain the complexity very shortly trying to widen readers’ view over the internationally confused ambiguity and perception problems. In order to do this, I will try to emphasize quite a few points where dispute mainly kicks in and creates reasonable skepticism.

Geographically, scholars argue over different theoretical boundaries of so called European continent. Particular researchers draw the lines on Balkans and emphasize the notions of European and Asian Istanbul, others recall Ural Mountains and place Caucasus region, Kazakhstan and Russia under new Eastern European dimension. Geopolitical divisions are clearly determined in the charters and policies of regional and international organizations, such as Council of Europe and OSCE. The European Union, on its own, includes Georgia in the Eastern European region and treats its integration on the same level with Ukraine and Moldova. However, in the realms of growing social media, where controversial ideas find extensive support, do we commonly look through conventional definitions? No, we don’t.

In the dominating era of contemporary technologies, we turn to the easiest way and simply explore a country in different map directories on internet. What do we see? Georgia is actually located pretty far from the EU land border squeezed by “undemocratic” Russia and “Muslim” Turkey. In addition, the country is close to “evil” Iran on its South and actually deals with two active separatist conflicts on its own territories. This image certainly sweeps away classic geopolitical belonging of such a state to the European region and here we start facing first unambiguity.

Few know about the historical past of Georgia, which could actually draw a perfect picture of country’s unsuccessful realization. The land of Golden Fleece and ancient culture, where archeologists keep finding oldest humanoid footprints, has constantly been conquered and destroyed by “Asian wolfs” including Persians, Arabs, Seljuk, Mongols and Ottomans along every single century. Later, in the 19th century, the Caucasus fell under the Russian domination. Even though many current pseudo-historians consider this fact as a dramatic turnout in the region’s history, it was the first dominant power with rough seeds of modern by then European appropriateness.

In the beginning of the 20th century, Eastern European possessions of Russian Empire received their first chance to build independent states. However, this joy didn’t last long for Georgia and ended up soon under the Soviet occupation in 1921. This fact dramatically affected several generations and suspended every type of European development for 70 years. The fall of Communism was followed by a formation of independent Eastern European states and stable revival in a number of countries including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and other successful stories of European re-integration.

The Future is Now

However, the chance to develop independent path towards West was not an issue in Georgia. A tragic civil war, two separatist conflicts and rule of corrupted governments pulled country back in decline for another decade. The so called “democratic” revolution in 2003 didn’t prove its marvelous expectations of Euro-Atlantic integration, economic growth and restoration of territorial integrity, but caused another war in 2008. Thus, Georgia has passed a tragic historical track and didn’t get its firm place neither in Europe, nor in anywhere else.

As in many underdeveloped societies, religion has been a major determinant of Georgia’s life-style along decades. The Orthodox Christian Church has been a historical actor saving the nation from vanishing in the realms of continuous invasions. However, modern reality requires the Church to reconsider its role in the contemporary society. Orthodoxy conventionally opposes Catholicism and judges preach of Protestantism regarding individualistic perception of salvation, which might develop selfishness and disrupt the humanity.

The harsh involvement of the Church in political and economic life of the society certainly interrupts democratic processes intended to strengthen secularization, ensure rule of law and protect human rights. Religion easily dominates in the society with low knowledge of truly democratic and liberal norms, which are fundamental for European integration and economic growth.

The Orthodox Church on its own frequently acts as a national religion rather than transnational. However, democratic ideas may definitely cohabitate along with such strong institutions and countries like Bulgaria, Greece and Romania have explicitly harmonized those notions. According to the newest survey of the Caucasus Research Resource Center, a significant number of Georgians is willing to respect religious minorities, but will never accept sexual minorities as they disturb nation’s dignity and damage Christian values. Thus, one might wonder whether such ideas have a place in individualistic Europe, where religion has lost its essential power.

The new Georgian government is currently facing severe challenges for re-building a democratic society, where fundamental human rights would be guaranteed and respected. Multiple reforms determined in the integration road-map, successfully held Parliamentary and Presidential elections, liberalization of business environment and a strong will to join the European family of democratic states are expected to be appreciated at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, where the free trade agreement and future association with EU are supposed to be finalized. However, does it immediately recognize Georgians as accepted Europeans? Does it change Georgian people’s mindsets and attitudes towards self-determination? No, it doesn’t in short-term perspective, but it certainly puts an expressive brick in the basement of long-term transformation.

So, are Georgians Europeans? Yes, they are, but very damaged and forgotten ones. Neither us, nor global society is ready yet to sympathize and accept this widely.

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Alexander Chanadiri: Georgian-born public thinker currently residing in Estonia. BA in International Relations and American Studies -at the Azerbaijan University of Languages. Master’s degree in Social Sciences / EU-Russia Studies at the University of Tartu in Estonia. Currently residing in Estonia and working as a Consultant for Eastern European educational markets at the University of Tartu.

Feature image by Henning(i), on Flickr

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