Georgia will vote in parliamentary elections on Saturday, which will decide whether the country’s future lies in the European Union or in the arms of Russia. The focus of the parliamentary elections is now foreign policy, which has taken attention away from the country’s internal problems, news reports Politico.
The elections were also reported on, among other things German wave and BBC.
The country’s ruling Georgian Dream party has taken a step in a more autocratic direction and pushed through a controversial, Russian-style law on “foreign agents”. As in Russia, Georgian media and non-governmental organizations must register as “foreign agents” in the future. The adoption of the law in the parliament caused huge protests in the country.
Politico points out that the ruling party Georgian Dream began to become more anti-Western as soon as Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Like Russia, the party has also passed a law prohibiting “gay propaganda”. Georgia itself was attacked by Russia in 2008.
The EU road stood up
Now, in the elections, the Georgian dream, which relies on the Kremlin’s methods of operation, and the pro-Western opposition, which would like to see the country as a member of the EU in the future, are facing each other. Most of the people too support pursuit of EU membership.
The situation is very interesting because the European Council granted Georgia the status of an EU candidate state on the condition that it implements the Commission’s recommendations on, among other things, the protection of human rights and the freedom of civil society and the media.
The law on foreign agents was immediately defeated in the EU and the high representative for foreign and security policy Joseph Borrell said that the adoption of the law would negatively affect Georgia’s progress on the EU path. Membership negotiations were put on hold.
In principle, the damage can still be repaired, which is why Western governments follow the elections closely. According to Borrell, the election will decide whether Georgia moves closer or further away from Europe.
Who is pro-Russia?
Georgia’s situation is special because the country’s ruling party considers itself pro-European and, according to DW, has previously opened the way for EU negotiations. Now the party’s election slogan is “Yes to the EU – but with dignity”.
Current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed in a recent interview with Euronews that his government is pro-European and said that the government’s actions in EU rapprochement prove it. At the same time, Kobakhidze said that Georgia does not have diplomatic relations with Russia.
“And therefore there is no room for manipulations by the opposition. It’s their choice. That’s their job. It is part of democracy,” Kobakhidze said.
Other members of the Georgian Dream party do not speak the same way. Party founder, former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has accused Western countries of being warmongers and spreading gay propaganda. According to Ivanishvili, war will immediately break out in Georgia if the opposition wins the elections.
The threat of a high price
If Georgia drifts further away from the EU after the elections, it will have to pay a heavy price both financially and politically, notes Politico. Georgia has already lost the 121 million euro grant granted by Brussels and now the grants are threatening to be cut off completely. The United States has also imposed financial restrictions and travel bans on many members of the country’s government. The reason is the weakening of democracy.
According to Gallup, the Georgian Dream, which has ruled the country for more than a decade, is once again getting the majority of votes, but it may not be enough to win. According to Politico, the party would like to win an absolute majority, which would allow it to pass laws without the support of the opposition. Now it seems that this may not happen.