Georgia’s parliamentary elections have sparked a political crisis, triggering widespread protests in the streets of Tbilisi. These demonstrations have at times escalated into violent clashes with security forces. The ruling Georgian Dream party, however, has shown little willingness to compromise with the opposition. Instead, it has chosen a path that further heightens tensions: refusing to pursue EU membership negotiations until 2028—a decision that has only amplified the already widespread public outrage.
The political turbulence in Tbilisi is steadily dragging the country into the vortex of Russia’s information war against the West. Back in October, during the election campaign, the ruling party opened the gates to the hydra of Russian propaganda.
One of Moscow’s most prominent pre-election narratives about Georgia was war speculation. Kremlin propagandists accused the pro-European opposition of supporting Western efforts to “sacrifice Georgia for the sake of war with Russia.” The Georgian Dream, in turn, relayed and reinforced this narrative by appealing to the Georgian people’s reluctance to repeat the August War on Georgian territory, which took place in 2008 and resulted in Russia’s de facto occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
An example of the billboards used by the Georgian Dream party in its election campaign. A contrast between a destroyed church in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion and a church in Georgia.
Such messages were broadcast through official channels and were strongly supported by pro-Kremlin politicians.
In addition to access to official media platforms and influence at the level of state policy, the danger is also posed by the openness of the Georgian Dream’s leaders to Russian “cultural diplomacy.” For example, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the “shadow” owner of Georgian Dream, is one of the sponsors of the Russian Club, an organisation that promotes Russian culture in Georgia and other countries.
Despite the “rootedness” of pro-Russian narratives in Georgia, interference in the electoral process has caused a storm of outrage among the country’s citizens.
Georgian President Salome Zurabichhvili declared the elections “stolen” and joined the calls of opposition forces in protesting for a fair and honest vote count. Thousands of people responded to the call and continue to defend pro-European values despite arrests and police attempts to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its attempts to seize the initiative and continues its propaganda campaign to discredit the pro-European opposition and suppress protests.
Pro-Kremlin media outlets and Z-channels are “mirroring” accusations of Russian interference in the Georgian elections to Western countries. In Russia’s pseudo-reality, the protests in Georgia are taking place because European capitals have become “more active” due to fear of a Donald Trump presidency, who, according to Kremlin propagandists, will “pull the trigger” on global change.
“…Trump has always had a negative attitude towards the foreign policy projects of the Democrats. Therefore, it is likely that under his watch, the United States will change its approach to Georgia and agree to accept new realities.” Kremlin Whisperer (232,000 followers)
In this way, Russia attributes its own intentions to the West, and positions itself as a friendly neighbor that supports the “true expression of the will of the Georgian people.”
In reality, the Kremlin cares little about public opinion. Instead, Russian propaganda strives to promote the “cult of power” and the image of an idealised leader. Public opinion plays a very small role in such a structure. The Russian authorities are accustomed to a peaceful apolitical environment and their citizens’ obedience. That is why narratives about the staged nature of public protests and theories of rebellion by “foreign enemies” are among Moscow’s most common propaganda tools, causing significant resentment among the Kremlin’s “subjects.”
The assurance that the protests will be short-lived feeds into the conspiracy theory of Western influence. This narrative is based on the claim that the protests are a “vivid picture” that fails to capture the true state of affairs in Georgia and represents the views of a small number of Georgians.
“The number of people who oppose the government’s decision to remove negotiations on the country’s accession to the EU by 2028 from the agenda is growing every day.” Oleh Tsarev (344,000)
This narrative is easily debunked if we look at the results of opinion polls of Georgian citizens on their attitudes towards EU accession. According to a survey conducted by the EUNEIGHBOURS east Program in March 2024, 60% of Georgian citizens have a positive attitude towards the EU. Another 81% said they would vote in favor of joining the EU if a referendum were held in the country.
Also, the pro-Kremlin media hasn’t forgotten one of their favourite tricks: destroying the opponent’s reputation. According to the Kremlin, masked protesters in Georgia are attacking civilians. Furthermore, the accusations against the demonstrators include planning murders to “incite the people”
“…the puppeteers of the Maidan in Tbilisi are planning to kill 2-3 people in the coming days to fuel the protests, which are beginning to run out of steam” Colonelcassad (888,973)
In fact, protesters in Georgia face violence and abuse of power from police as they attempt to disperse the protests. Police tactics include tear gas, water cannons, illegal arrests, and beatings. According to available evidence, groups of masked individuals have targeted opposition members, activists, and journalists. Such attacks are usually carried out with the police’s approval or tacit consent.
Despite the pro-Kremlin Georgian authorities’ efforts to suppress the protests through force and increased “concentration” of Russian propaganda, the protests continue. According to Reuters, the demonstrations are taking place not only in the capital, but also in other Georgian cities, demonstrating the people’s willingness to fight for their right to a future free of Russian influence.
Written by Viktoriia Odusanvo, UCMC/HWAG. Source HWAG/UCMC. The article was prepared for publication by volunteers from the Res Publica - The Center for Civil Resistance.
