This document discusses informal power structures in post-Soviet Georgian politics. It examines how criminal networks became integrated into upper levels of power following the country's independence in the early 1990s, with figures like Jaba Ioseliani of Mkhedrioni setting rules for political games. Though Saakashvili aimed to curb corruption and organized crime, his government focused more on state-building than democratization and informal structures persisted. The era under Ivanishvili following the 2012 transfer of power saw continuing integration of criminal techniques among elites and questions around amnesty for victims of political persecution, with the influence of unofficial power remaining a challenge for Georgian democracy.

1. Informal Power
Structures in Georgia
Klára Bažantová, Strategic and Security Studies
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2. Why informal power
structures?
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Motivation:
background to
research
Question:
What is the role
of informal
power
structures in
post-soviet
Georgian
politics?
Vera Kobalia, exminister of Georgian
Economic Development

3. Presentation Structure
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Theoretical Framework
Saakashvili’s era: criminal elites reformation
Method and Data sources
Profession criminals in the early 90’s
Introduction to informal power structures in
Georgia
Ivanishivili: Following the trend?
Summary

4. Theoretical framework
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Tillman focuses on the phenomenon of corporate corruption in market and
believes that markets and their rulers are both product and also incentive
which lays the ground for political processes (Tillman 2009: 83).
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I examine unofficial power structures not as a phenomenon which occurs
while the state is failing but as an integral part of nonlinear trajectory of
democratisation-> crimogenic networks are viewed as organic part of
Georgian politics and culture
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“Making the Rules and Breaking the Rules: the Political Origins of Corporate
Corruption in the New Economy” by R. Tillman
bachelor thesis - competitive authoritarian regime

5. Method and data
sources
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several case studies examined within 4 periods of democratic
era:
- the era of civic and ethnic wars
- Shevarnadze’s “dark period”,
- Rose Revolution
- Saakashvili’s presidency
- current development under Ivanishvili’s rule.
data sources
- Kupatadze, A. (2012): Organized Crime, Political Transitions and State
Formation in Post-Soviet Eurasia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 116 139
- Šmíd, T. (2007):Ethnic Conflicts in Post-communist Space
- daily online journals (civil.ge, rferl.org)

6. Introduction to informal power
structures in Georgia
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crimogenic networks slowing down
democratisation process
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decision-making process has been happening out of
the legislative body
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history of invasions -> crippled sense for public
service, inability to take responsibility for actions
Georgia is in the midst of transitioning from a
presidential to a mixed parliamentary system

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8. Profession criminals in
the early 90’s
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period of first elected president Zviad Gamsakhurdia, wars
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underworld dominated over political scene and set the rules
for political games. They managed to infiltrate into business,
politics and church structures. Informal power structures were
created outside of politics but integrated in politics and set the
trend of setting the rules of upperworld.
vory v zakone, symbolic figure: Jaba Ioseliani (Mkhedrioni)
tradition of sophisticated connection between crimogenic
networks and political rulers
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9. Integration of criminal networks
to upperworld in the late 90’s
• overwhelming corruption and the rule of
organised crime
• symbolic figure: vor v zakone Tariel Onioani
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10. Saakashvili’s era: criminal elites
transformation
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the war against corruption and
organised crime
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anti-crime campaign as an excuse
for legitimising undemocratic moves
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+ police reform
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case of Valery Gelashvili
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- supreme role of police
Saaashvili’s government
concentrated more on statebuilding, not democratisation ,
nonofficial power structures within
the upperworld

11. Ivanishivili: Following the
trend?
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The richest Georgian Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream Coalition
? amnesty - releasing victims of political persecution?
October 2012 - transfer of power from incumbent to opposition purely
through bullet box
criminal offence against members of exGovernment
presidential elections -> Margvelashvili

12. Summary
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tip of the iceberg
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typology
techniques of professional criminals are infiltrated among political elites
there is a parallel between the practices of professional criminals and
political elites
Kupatadze 2012: 35
the concept of corruption?
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13. Questions?
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