Tbilisi – The institutional crisis in Georgia is escalating rapidly with each passing day. The ruling party Georgian Dream has not only orchestrated an unprecedented wave of electoral fraud during the 26 October legislative elections, but also suspended its commitment to EU membership “until the end of 2028.”
The situation has further deteriorated with brutal violence against demonstrators, who have taken to the streets daily for over two weeks to protest against the regime of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, demanding free and democratic elections. In addition, a series of repressive laws are progressively transforming Georgia into a miniature version of Russia.
On 14 December, the Georgian Dream-controlled Parliament appointed Mikheil Kavelashvili—a former footballer with a modest career, now a politician with strongly anti-Western and pro-Kremlin views—as the new Head of State. The protesters in Tbilisi’s streets denounced him as “an illegitimate president, a puppet in the hands of Ivanishvili and Putin.”
Despite the overwhelming influence of the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party, opposition parties and protesters still have one institutional figure to challenge its dominance: President Salomé Zourabichvili. However, time is running out, as her term will expire on 29 December, after which the ruling party will install its own head of state. At that point, no institution will remain independent.
These final days will therefore be critical for Georgia’s future, especially as the country awaits a response from Brussels and Washington. President Zourabichvili herself acknowledged this urgency during an interview with The New Union Post at the presidential palace, just a stone’s throw from the parliament that is steering the nation further from its European aspirations.
President Zourabichvili, what is your response to the election of the new Head of State?
“It is very clear that this is simply a follow-up of the completely rigged parliamentary elections. The entire system is based on a Russian model, as we are also seeing in other countries like Romania and Moldova. The methods may differ, but the strategy is the same. I think that everybody is realising this.
The legitimacy of the Parliament that has emerged from those elections is contested by the population, which has been protesting every day and night for the last two weeks. When there is a protest of this kind, there is only way out, which is political. This means organising new elections. This is the demand of the people on the streets, of the political parties that took part in the elections, and my personal demand as the last legitimate institutional representative in this country. This is what I will continue to do.”
Georgian Dream is about to revoke the state protection guaranteed until one year after the end of the presidential term. If you risk arrest after 29 December, will you seek protection in a European country?
“I will be in the same situation as the rest of the population. There is no reason for me to leave this country, because I represent what I think is needed: a legitimate and functioning institution that does not depend on one party or one man, and that provides representation to the population, who continue to protest on the streets. My role is here, exile is not a solution.”
What do you now expect from European leaders?
“This is a challenge for all European countries. It has arisen in countries like ours, that are immediately around the Black Sea, and that might not be a coincidence. If it is not dealt with here, if European partners allow it to happen, this challenge will be happen again in other countries.
Today, Russia obviously does not have the means for other forms of interference—it must focus on the war in Ukraine, which it cannot even win. But now it is experimenting with a different form of interference, what I call “election warfare”. But they are now testing another form of interference, which is what I call an electoral war. This is what is happening in Georgia, and it must be stopped.”
Do you expect the EU to impose sanctions against Georgian Dream?
“Some countries have already imposed sanctions. Two European countries [Estonia and Lithuania, ed.] have done so, and the U.S. has begun the process. We know that the consensus on sanctions at the EU level is difficult because of Hungary, but other countries will still be able to impose sanctions at the national level.
Frankly, Georgians have learned from their own history that they are the ones who must fight and win, through resistance against rigged elections and pushing for new elections. What they expect from other countries is moral support and the non-recognition of this illegitimate government and president.”
On 7 December in Paris, you met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an ally of Hungarian Viktor Orbán, who is a strong supporter of Georgian Dream. What did you tell her?
“I explained the situation to her. It was a very brief meeting. I did not ask her to take a position on the situation in Georgia. I know her stance on Ukraine, and it is very important that our European partners have a coherence stance. I trust Italy, and I believe it is very clear what is at stake, especially considering the situation in Romania. I do not think this is indifferent to Italy.”
What reassurances have you received from the presidents of the EU institutions?
“They understand the situation very well, but they cannot make promises before knowing the outcomes of the meetings that will determine the EU’s common position. I spoke with the new President of the European Council [António Costa, ed.] and the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas at her first Foreign Affairs Council.
They know very well what is happening in Georgia. The understanding among the European countries that this is a great challenge for them: the credibility of the EU’s words and promises.”
When do you think Georgia will finally be able to join the EU?
“This is a question I have never answered before. I think the timeline has been accelerated thanks to the Ukrainian fight. In this situation, it is really very difficult to specify deadlines. What is more important is the direction of Georgia’s European path, which has progressed strongly and effectively. This is what people in the streets are marching for.”
This interview was granted to our editor Federico Baccini and was first published by Il Foglio
