Parliamentary Opposition Parties in Georgia’s Foreign Policy under a Hybrid Regime in 2012–2020

Abstract Based on three case studies, this paper examines the influence of parliamentary opposition parties on Georgia’s foreign policy as a country with a hybrid regime. The study covers an eight-year period from the start of the Georgian Dream party’s rule in 2012 to the end of 2020 when pro-Western opposition forces were strong and the government pursued a “normalization” policy with Russia. An analysis of the cases reveals that the parliamentary opposition has leverage in foreign policy to put pressure on the government. Yet the case studies show that the opposition’s influence on foreign policy was manifested mainly by non-parliamentary means, particularly in mobilizing international actors and shaping public opinion on specific foreign policy issues.