The Chavchavadze Center, represented by its Executive Director, Nino Kalandadze, participated in a high-level discussion jointly organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung's (KAS) Multinational Development Policy Dialogue and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) and Held in Brussels, the discussion focused on the resilience of political parties to foreign malign influence and the pivotal role of EU support in this process.

Political actors, experts, and democracy practitioners from various regions shared ground-level perspectives and experiences from Sri Lanka, Colombia, Tanzania, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova. The discussions covered diverse forms of malign pressure, ranging from Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and covert funding to cyber operations, organized crime, and influence campaigns.

Nino Kalandadze provided the participants with insights into the current realities on the ground in Georgia, highlighting practical challenges and the strategic steps the Center is taking to strengthen the country's democratic resilience.

The overarching message of the event was that political parties constitute a crucial pillar of a country's democratic resilience. However, while external interference presents a significant risk, long-term resilience also heavily depends on strengthening democratic institutions from within—specifically through internal party democracy, transparency, and rebuilding citizen trust. In this context, participants also explored how democratic actors can effectively respond to malign influence at an early stage, before it becomes deeply embedded, and how they can build public awareness without further fueling polarization.

The Chavchavadze Center extends its gratitude to its partner organizations and international speakers for establishing this platform for global dialogue and for the fruitful collaboration.