United National Movement (Georgia)

A pro-NATO sign edited by UNM, the then-ruling party of Georgia.

UNM was founded in October 2001 by Mikheil Saakashvili. It is a reformist party and favors closer ties with NATO and the European Union, as well as the restoration of Tbilisi's control over the separatist self-proclaimed states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Originally a center-left party, it moved its position to center-right since the Rose Revolution and combines political, economic and cultural liberalism with civic nationalism. Its main political priorities also include improving social services to the poor, the movement's main base of support; fighting corruption and reducing administrative barriers for doing business. Leaders of UNM label themselves as liberal-conservative and in September 2007, the party became an observer member of the center-right European People's Party (EPP).

Saakashvili and other Georgian opposition leaders formed a "United People's Alliance" in November 2003 to bring together the United National Movement, the United Democrats, the Union of National Solidarity and the youth movement "Kmara" in a loose alliance against the government of President Eduard Shevardnadze.

The United National Movement and its partners in the opposition played a central role in the November 2003 political crisis that ended in the forced resignation of President Shevardnadze. The opposition parties strongly contested the outcome of the November 2, 2003 parliamentary elections, which local and international observers criticized for numerous irregularities.[2] After the fall of Shevardnadze, the party joined forces with the United Democrats and the Union of National Solidarity to promote Saakashvili as the principal opposition candidate in the presidential elections of January 4, 2004, which he won by an overwhelming majority. The United National Movement and the United Democrats amalgamated on February 5, 2004; the UNM retained its name but its parliamentary faction was called the National Movement-Democrats.

In the 2008 parliamentary election, the UNM won 59.1% of the vote. However, in the 2012 election they fell to 40.3%, becoming the second largest party in parliament after Georgian Dream.

After the 2012 elections, the UNM suffered several defections of its parliament members to new parties. Including that of the libertarian New Political Center — Girchi by former UNM member of parliament Zurab Japaridze and three others.[3] Some believe these defections were encouraged by the ruling Georgian Dream Coalition in order to weaken its principal opposition.[4]

Party received 27.11% of the vote on 2016 Georgian parliamentary election. Shortly afterward, the party split on 12 January 2017, as a result of a conflict between Davit Bakradze, former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava, their supporters, and members of the party loyal to former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili had rejected the party's decision to enter parliament after the elections and had furthermore opposed the initiative of party members to appoint a chairman in his place, a position which was officially vacant due to Saakashvili's expatriate status. On the day of the split, Ugulava stated: "One person is responsible for dismantling the party – the person, who established the party." A majority of the UNM's electoral list defected to European Georgia, leaving the UNM with six members in parliament.

On 24 March 2019, Mikheil Saakashvili stepped down as the party's chairman. He was succeeded by his own nominee, Grigol Vashadze.[5]

On 15 December 2020, Grigol Vashadze resigned as The Party Chairman, The following election was won by Nika Melia, against Levan Varshalomidze.

The National Movement has been described as a power party with no clear political ideology. Although it is widely known for the support of small government, cutting the red tape, deregulation of the economy, privatization, free market and policies of economic liberalism. The party advocates attracting foreign direct investments through business-friendly environment, low tax rates, reduction of capital control, and political stability with a goal of stimulating high economic growth in a short time frame. The party also supports increasing of government spendings in the social protection, education, military and infrastructure. It advocates that Georgia should model its future on the path taken by Four Asian Tigers. The government of the National Movement has been characterized as "perhaps the freest market government in the world" drawing influence from the theories of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, and policies of Margaret Thatcher in the UK and Ronald Reagan in the USA.[6]

The party has been varying on the topics of the social and cultural politics. For example, in 2009 the police under the United National Movement government raided the office of the Inclusive Foundation, the NGO uniting LGBT rights activists, which was ruled as "motivated by homophobic or transphobic hatred" by the European Court of Human Rights.[7] Nevertheless, as an opposition party the United National Movement has shown more support for the progressive causes. Signing of the memorandum with the Tbilisi Pride on LGBT rights in May 2021 has cemented its status as a culturally liberal party. Nevertheless, the party itself tries to avoid clear association with either cultural liberalism or conservatism and tries to garner support from both sides. For example, in 2019 Mikheil Saakashvili has stated that he was always in support of traditional Georgian values and blamed Giga Bokeria for devaluing the image of the National Movement in the eyes of the conservative public.[8] Giga Bokeria called this statement ridiculous, claiming that he was never in the position of power to make such decisions.

The National Movement supports the civic nationalism, trying to reconcile it with culturally liberal values. Thus, it abandoned traditional form of Georgian nationalism, defining the nation in terms of culture and shared values instead of ethnicity and bloodline. The party's nationalist agenda encompasses ethnic minorities, including Abkhazians and Ossetians in respective breakaway republics, which are deemed as inseparable parts of Georgian nation like other minorities.

The UNM's foreign policy programme has a strong emphasis on Euro-Atlantic integration.[9] During the first years in government, the party has tried to reconcile with Russia on topics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with Mikheil Saakashvili visiting Vladimir Putin in Moscow numerous times to hold negotiations. Although its stance changed drastically since the 2008 war, when Russia was identified as the number one threat of Georgian national security. The party deems Russian actions against Georgia as imperialistic attempts to preserve its sphere of influence in the South Caucasus, blocking Georgian integration into the EU and NATO.

Some critics have characterized the UNM style of government as highly hierarchical and top-down authoritarian.[10] The UNM has received public criticism for crackdown on peaceful protests like the 2007 and 2011 demonstrations, police brutality, zero tolerance policy, torture of inmates in the prisons and cronyism. Its regime has also been described as a "liberal autocracy".[11]

• Ghia Nodia, Álvaro Pinto Scholtbach: The Political Landscape of Georgia: Political Parties: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects. Eburon, Delft 2006, ISBN 90-5972-113-6
• Lincoln A. Mitchell: Uncertain Democracy: U.S. Foreign Policy and Georgia's Rose Revolution. University of Pennsylvania Press 2008, ISBN 0-8122-4127-4

• Category:United National Movement (Georgia) politicians
• Rose Revolution
• Politics of Georgia (country)

• Official website
• Official website in English