Informace o publikaci
Reimagining ‘the West’ in the Georgian Public Discourse : Fear as a Political Instrument
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2026 |
| Druh | Článek v odborném periodiku (nerecenzovaný) |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Přiložené soubory | |
| Popis | This article discusses how ‘the West’ is reimagined and strategically deployed within the contemporary Georgian political discourse (2023–2025) through the instrumentalisation of fear-based narratives. Amidst Georgia’s contested democratic trajectory and polarised media environment, high-level officials increasingly invoke ‘the West’ not as a coherent geopolitical partner but as a malleable symbol associated with moral decline, foreign interference, and threats to national security. This occurs despite, and in tension with, Georgia’s officially declared and constitutionally enshrined commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration, revealing a core puzzle in the country’s political communication landscape. This article draws on discourse analysis of political speeches, party messaging of the ‘Georgian Dream’ government, and social media content, complemented by insights from semi-structured interviews with Georgian experts and civil society representatives. By unpacking the ideological, emotional and strategic mechanisms underpinning this process, the analysis shows how claims of foreign interference can be instrumentalised by illiberal actors to delegitimise opponents and steer the political agenda towards securitisation and societal anxiety. In doing so, the article contributes to broader debates on the politics of fear and the vulnerabilities of states navigating competing geopolitical imaginaries, particularly when official foreign policy commitments diverge from the narratives circulated by the ruling elites. |
| Související projekty: |