NIGHT AFTERnight, a contest between fear and hope is playing out on the streets of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. Defying club-wielding riot police,protesters have gathered each eveningsince November 28th to demand that their government resumes its frozen bid to join the European Union and holds fresh, unrigged elections. This being real life rather than a morality tale, it cannot be ruled out that fear will win.
This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “How fear of Putin helps and harms European democracy ”
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
After decades of rising secularism, Christianity is holding its ground—and gaining among the young
Its plan was to hold off a Chinese attack until America turned up. What now?
MAGA-world flirts with forces that once tore Europe apart
His regime uses payouts to salve Russian families’ grief