Between Europe and Russia, Oligarchs Rule

Abstract:

Today, citizens in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine see an increasingly troubled and inward-looking Europe. They are also disillusioned by their own leaders. Turnout figures in 2016 elections in Georgia and Moldova were low. In Georgia, up to 37% of people surveyed in a poll failed to identify with any party in the run-up to the October 2016 parliamentary election.

By stepping into the political void and promising stability, oligarchs deploy their experience and resources to capture these countries’ institutions - if not people’s imaginations. Yet despite their allure, oligarchs are not a wise choice for Georgia, Moldova, or Ukraine.