Łódź, Poland — The Chavchavadze Center participated in the 12th edition of Freedom Games, Central Europe's premier festival of ideas, which took place October 24-26, 2025, at EXPO Łódź under the theme "Time of Uncertainty."
Our Founder and Executive Director, Nino Kalandadze, spoke at the panel "Resisting the Squeeze: Civil Society under Pressure in CEE" on Saturday, October 25 at Plenary Stage III.
The session examined the mounting pressures facing civil society organizations across Central and Eastern Europe, from restrictive legislation and politically motivated audits to smear campaigns and shrinking funding access. As authoritarian-leaning governments increasingly target NGOs working on anti-corruption, minority rights, media freedom, and judicial independence, the panel explored both the challenges and emerging strategies for resilience.
Joining Ms. Kalandadze on the panel were:
Jakub Kocjan, President, Akcja Demokracja Foundation (Poland)
Márton Schlanger, Lead Researcher, Republikon Institute (Hungary)
Andrej Schulz, Deputy Director, Martin Filko Institute (Slovakia)
The discussion was moderated by Barbora Krempaská, an expert on transformation processes in Central Europe. The panel was organized in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation and 4liberty.eu.
Ms. Kalandadze delivered a comprehensive analysis of the unprecedented assault on Georgian civil society, emphasizing that "this is not democratic backsliding—this is a full-scale assault on civil society using the Russian playbook at accelerated pace."
The presentation highlighted critical developments since the disputed October 2024 parliamentary elections:
Ms. Kalandadze outlined successful resistance strategies, including coalition-building among ,daily protests maintaining visibility, and international information sharing. She also analyzed the government's systematic stigmatization campaign and its polarizing impact on public trust in civil society.
The presentation concluded with a direct call to the international community: "We don't need sympathy—we need action. Georgian civil society needs concrete consequences for the government and sustained support for organizations under attack."
