The West
Georgia Needs a Genuine Conservative Alternative
With families leaving and wages falling, does Georgia have the leadership it deserves?
Where Conservatism Fails
On 2 September 2025, when leaders and journalists from conservative movements worldwide gathered at the Heritage Foundation, author Henry Olsen argued that emerging conservative movements should rest on three pillars: free-market economics, nationalism, and social conservatism. After reflecting on how closely my country’s ruling party aligns with these principles, my conclusion is stark: not at all.
Families in Crisis
This narrowing gap between marriage and divorce is particularly concerning for a small nation like Georgia, with a population of just 3.7 million. The trend is contributing to a sharp decline in births, dropping from 51,158 in 2018 to just 39,443 in 2024. Yet the Georgian Dream government has largely ignored this demographic alarm. Policy measures that could help - such as tax incentives for families with multiple children, expanded pregnancy support, or comprehensive maternity leave outside the public sector - remain absent, making raising a child a significant financial burden for young couples.
Depopulation is further illustrated by the thousands of schoolchildren who leave Georgia each year due to family relocation, mostly to EU countries. This not only diminishes Georgia’s population but also shifts the financial burden to European taxpayers. The government’s inaction on family policy therefore has consequences both domestically and internationally.
Unsurprisingly, the initiative was rejected by a bipartisan consensus of the ruling party and opposition. That year, nearly 25,000 abortions were performed - roughly half the number of births. The Georgian Dream government, alongside progressive allies in various NGOs, showed little concern for the issue.
Migration and Jobs
This influx has already affected key economic sectors. Immigrants have entered the delivery service industry, once a reliable source of income for young Georgians, driving wages down to roughly half their previous levels. The IT sector has seen similar effects, with Russian specialists providing services that depress local salaries. Yet the Georgian Dream party has taken little action to protect Georgian workers or manage this labor influx, leaving citizens vulnerable and frustrated.
Georgia faces an urgent demographic and social challenge. Declining birth rates, rising divorce, emigration, and unchecked immigration threaten our nation’s stability and identity. The country needs genuine, pro-Western conservative leadership, leaders who will champion strong family policies, support working parents, minimize abortion, enforce fair migration policies, and protect the rights of Georgian workers. As a small Christian nation, we cannot afford to wait. The time for decisive, principled leadership is now.
