On July 26, IDFI hosted an online lecture and discussion on the topic: "The De-oligarchization Reform Agenda in Moldova and Georgia: EU Requirements and Progress." The event was held with the support of the USAID National Governance Program, within the project "Pilot Public Policy Initiatives for Youth Engagement and Mentoring."

The aim of the meeting was to discuss the main requirements set by the EU for Georgia and Moldova under the de-oligarchization reform, the commitments and plans developed by the countries within the reform, the progress achieved, and the challenges faced.

The invited speakers addressed the participants, including:

 - Tinatin Akhvlediani – Research Fellow, Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

 - Mihail Gorinchoi - Expert, Institute for European Reforms and Policy (IPRE)

 - Levan Avalishvili - Program Director, Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)

In her speech, Tinatin Akhvlediani focused on what deoligarchization means and described it as non-transparent influence that hinders the democratization process. She also noted that deoligarchization, as a term, is difficult to define due to its complexity, and there is not any common approach that accurately describes its essence and includes instructions for combating de-oligarchization. The speaker touched on the issue's complexity, noting that oligarchs exert indirect influence on political processes and often bypass legal mechanisms. Despite the lack of unified approaches, she emphasized that there are many cases where the nature of oligarchy and ways to combat it are clearly outlined. Tinatin highlighted that the cases of Moldova and Georgia serve as examples to explain the problem of oligarchy. As a recommendation, she suggested that Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as countries with fragile democracies, need to consider the recommendations of the Venice Commission to transform into stable democracies. Additionally, these countries should strengthen civil society, which the speaker assessed as one of the main components in the fight against oligarchy.

Mihail Gorinchoi discussed the de-oligarchization issue and the reforms undertaken by the Moldovan authorities in this direction. To share experiences, he talked about Moldova's legislative experience, specifically the law passed by the Moldovan Parliament against oligarchy. However, he also noted that it was later decided to follow a broader action plan, which was prompted by the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The speaker advised Georgia to adopt an institutional rather than personalized approach in the fight against oligarchy, which would help implement successful reforms.

Levan Avalishvili focused on the reality in Georgia, noting that the de-oligarchization requirement intersects with other demands, such as ensuring judicial independence and judicial reform, achieving the independence of the Anti-corruption Bureau and equipping it with investigative functions, as well as ensuring the independence of institutions like the Special Investigation Service and the Personal Data Protection Service. The speaker also highlighted the difference between the approaches of Moldova and Georgia, noting that in Georgia, the civil sector was not involved in the development of this plan, whereas in Moldova, the civil soceity was directly engaged in the development of the plan and their positions were at least voiced/considered. During the discussion, opinions were expressed on what to expect from the EU if there is no progress in the implementation of the de-oligarchization reform. It was also emphasized that there are almost no cases of investigation into elite corruption in Georgia. Specific questions were addressed to the Moldovan representative, who shared experiences about the reforms carried out in Moldova and provided his opinion on which specific reforms contributed to Moldova's progress in this direction. Overall, the participants of the online lecture and discussion noted that Georgia should adopt a multi-vector approach when implementing the de-oligarchization reform to meet the EU's requirements.