Liberalism in Georgia (Georgian:ლიბერალიზმი საქართველოში,romanized:liberalizmi sakartveloshi) is apolitical andmoral philosophy based on what liberals consider theunalienable rights of the individual. The fundamentalliberal ideals offreedom of speech,freedom of the press,freedom of religion, theseparation of church and state, the right todue process andequality under the law are widely accepted as a common foundation of liberalism.
The history of liberalism in Georgia can be split into two periods: the first period began in 1860s with theTergdaleulebi movement and ended in 1921, whenGeorgia was sovietized; the second period began in 1991 with Georgia declaring its independence from the Soviet Union.[1] Liberalism in Georgia was persecuted severely both by theRussian Empire and theSoviet Union.[1]
The first period liberalism in Georgia is closely associated with the leader of intellectual movement named "Tergdaleulebi" - princeIlia Chavchavadze.[1]Ilia Chavchavadze was aGeorgian public figure, journalist, publisher, writer and poet who spearheaded the revival of the Georgian national movement in the second half of the 19th century and played a major role in the creation of Georgian civil society during theRussian rule of Georgia. He is Georgia's "most universally revered hero."[2]
Five Georgian political parties -Republican,Free Democrats,Strategy Aghmashenebeli,Lelo andGirchi — More Freedom - are members ofAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party. TheEurope-Georgia Institute is an affiliate member ofEuropean Liberal Forum.