Implications of the Georgian-Russian War in 2008 – Strategic Reshaping of the European Sphere?

The Georgian-Russian War in August 2008 raised questions towards the strategic configuration of Europe, which are unanswered until today. In Georgia, the Heinrich Boell Foundation Regional Office South Caucasus is a leading actor running public debates on the August War and its implications for International Politics. The profound discussions which are organized by the Foundation in its office in Tbilisi are an important contribution to democratic development in Georgia. The debates and the Foundation became an important institution for the stakeholders of the democratic change in Georgia.

Central to the discussion on the August war is not the question of who started the war, but rather the discussion about the structural implications, which come along with the transformation and modernization of the Georgian society before and after the war. The war and the developments within Georgia did not just challenge the existing European security strategy which is grounded on the Charta of Paris, but also posed questions towards a new pan European order in a democratic perspective.

The web dossier “Implications of the Georgian-Russian War in 2008 – Strategic Reshaping of the European Sphere?” presents the main arguments within the public debates organized by the Foundation. Additionally to this presentation of selected debates, there are approximate analyses of respective experts from Georgia and Europe, which deal with the current debate on the discussions of security strategies in the region as well as in the EU.