Contesting or Supporting? The EU Integration Project and the Georgian Youth

This paper examines the perceptions and experiences of Georgian youth regarding the EU integration project and EU-Georgia relations based on original data obtained through focus groups with students of EU Studies, International Relations, and Political Science at Georgian universities. The findings reveal strong support among Georgian youth for the EU and Georgia’s integration into it, viewing EU membership as crucial for Georgia’s political, economic, and social modernization. The study also highlights the effective resonance of the EU’s soft power among Georgian youth, indicating a favourable perception of the EU’s social, economic, and political development model. Furthermore, the paper discusses the participants’ nuanced views on the “centre-periphery” dichotomy in EU-Georgia relations, suggesting that while Georgia may be spatially peripheral to the EU, it culturally aligns more with the centre. Consequently, the paper suggests that the EU should strongly support ‘bottom-up’ initiatives and pro-democracy domestic actors in Georgia who align with EU values. Lastly, the paper contributes to broader academic discussions in International Relations by challenging traditional theories that overlook the impact of domestic-level variables on small states’ foreign policies, emphasising the significance of considering both domestic and international factors in analysing foreign policy decisions.