The fear in Georgia of being forgotten

Status: 05/23/2023 06:39 a.m

While Ukraine is making great strides towards the EU, Georgia is falling behind. This is due to the government, which is authoritarian and obedient to Russia. But many do not want to accept that.

The party was over before it really started. Guests at a wedding party, which included the daughter of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, were escorted by police from a hotel on Lake Kvareli in northeast Georgia on Saturday.

President Salome Zurabishvili spoke of a “victory for society” when she announced the news. Like the daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ekaterina Lavrova is on the US and EU sanctions lists. Zurabishvili urged the Georgian authorities to comply with them. The President once again opposed the government, which had repeatedly refused entry to Russian opposition figures.

It was heard from those close to the hotel owners that the staff had refused to serve the guests. Residents and activists had protested in front of the site. Images of the brutal police action against the demonstrators and arrests caused outrage.

Among those arrested was the politician Helen Koschtaria, who belongs to the liberal opposition with her party “Droa” (It’s Time). She tweeted that neither she nor her lawyer would work with “this Russian system and its bailiffs.”

anger at the government

Even if Koschtaria is one of the more radical, many in the opposition and in society share their anger at the government. They are those who see their future in a democratic, modern Georgia as a member of the EU. But the governing party “Georgian Dream” of the very rich businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili has been angering the western allies for some time.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this has included the claim that the US and the EU want to push Georgia into a “second front” against Russia – which US Ambassador Kelly Degnan and EU representatives tirelessly deny as absurd.

Georgia’s government is angering the people with a law on “foreign agents.”
more

Georgia fallen back

But while the opening of EU accession negotiations is all but certain as Ukraine’s next step, a big question mark remains over Georgia’s candidate status. Sweden’s Ambassador Ulrik Tidestrom, whose country currently holds the EU Council Presidency, expressed caution at a conference in Tbilisi.

At the event co-organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, Georgian opposition representatives from various parties, including former ministers, explained eloquently how important candidate status is for their country. Georgia must catch up with Moldova and Ukraine – the people deserve it.

But the Georgian opposition will only have a chance in the 2024 parliamentary elections if they manage to form a broad alliance against the ruling party. Because this is already creating the conditions for their certain victory, for example by filling the central election commission. And the opposition must develop credible concepts for the needs of the population, including the consequences of inflation.

The EU Commission recommends appointing Ukraine and Moldova as EU candidates – but not Georgia.
more

Easier entry into Russia

But Russia won’t let people rest. As if to drive the already divided society in Georgia further apart, Putin ordered direct flights between the two countries to be permitted again, as well as visa facilitation for Georgian citizens.

The latter makes work easier for the hundreds of truck drivers who transport goods to and from Russia every day. The northern neighbor was also Georgia’s second most important trading partner in 2022, according to the Georgian statistical office. However, the facilitation of travel increases the likelihood that these routes will be used to circumvent sanctions against Russia, which could result in fines from Brussels and Washington.

EU foreign ministers are looking for a unified stance on companies that support Russia.
more

Protests against flights to Russia

The protest is mainly directed against the direct flights. Because the Georgian government immediately allowed the Russian airline Asimut and the notoriously sluggish Georgian airline Georgian Airways. Although both are not sanctioned by the European Union, it had, in line with the USA, warned against resuming air traffic – also because of technical problems as a result of the sanctions.

The first plane from Moscow landed on Friday, accompanied by violent protests at the airport. Despite the rain, demonstrators of all ages have been gathering in front of Parliament every evening since then.

fear of Russia

In addition to fears of EU penalties, there is fear of Russia. According to the Interior Ministry, as of November there were 112,000 Russian citizens in Georgia, which has a population of just 3.7 million. In the capital Tbilisi, Russian can be heard everywhere – in contrast to what can be seen everywhere: Ukraine flags and graffiti like “Russia is a terrorist state”.

It is feared that among those who have entered the country are Russian agents who could give Putin reason to intervene in Georgia. The fact that Lavrov’s sanctioned daughter was apparently able to enter the country unmolested fuels distrust in the Georgian authorities – and shows that such fears are not far-fetched.

source site