Georgian Local Government Reform: Enacted but Languishing on the Backburner

Abstract

This article examines the recent progress and current state of local government reform in Georgia. After a period of extended centralization under the previous United National Movement, the successor Georgian Dream coalition government embarked on a program of dramatic decentralization, which resulted in a comprehensive local government strategy and, subsequently, a less-ambitious but still considerable slate of proposed reforms in late 2013. However, opposition to key elements of the proposed legislation by groups led by the influential Georgian Orthodox Church saw the final bill moderated. Since the law was adopted in early 2014, however, decentralization efforts have largely stagnated. Efforts to address a missing revenuesharing and fiscal decentralization component appear to be stalled. Given the political environment, the Georgian government is unlikely to pursue further decentralization reforms in the near-term, despite their advantages for governance and economic development.