The tactic of virtually separating Georgia’s democratic government from Georgian people fits the Russian hybrid playbook, writes the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament on his Facebook page.

“We have witnessed, in the last years, a targeted campaign aimed at decoupling Georgian government from Georgian people. Be it the question of European integration, Russian invasion of Ukraine, or domestic political reforms, some foreign and Georgian political forces, NGOs, and individuals try to present interests of the government as separate from those of the people. This has been especially evident in the case of Georgia’s application to the European Union membership. ‘Give the EU candidacy to Georgian people, not Georgian government’ has become a rallying cry for this motley political grouping.

This practice is not new to those who are familiar with Russian hybrid warfare. Using de-legitimation of the government as a tool of political subversion was the favorite tactic of the Soviet regime, and the current Russian government seems to have also employed it with enthusiasm. President Putin of Russia, to this day, sends congratulatory holiday messages to ‘Georgian people’ as separate from its government. The radical wing of Georgian opposition took this tactic up, often imposing it on the more moderate political parties. In a way, this is not just a coincidence. Some of the most radical members of Georgian opposition did, after all, study at the KGB-run Soviet and Russian ‘educational’ institutions: former president Mikheil Saakashvili and the leader of Droa Elene Khoshtaria, among others. It is unfortunate that some of our foreign partners and foreign-funded Georgian NGOs have used this tactic with respect to Georgian government.

Virtual separation of the government as ‘pro-Russian’, ‘corrupt’, and ‘inept’, contrasting to the aspirations of the people also has another source: plain and sheer populism, the favorite tactic of some of the most unsavory political forces in the contemporary world. Juxtaposing ‘corrupt authorities’ with the ‘pure people’ and claiming that there is a ‘general will’ for replacing the government, without any evidence, fits precisely the essence of modern-day populism. Needless to say, populism is one of the biggest dangers to democracy worldwide.

Thus, we have a paradox: forces that claim to be ‘democratic’, ‘progressive’, and ‘pro-Western’ are using the unacceptable political tactics that are in the toolbox of most undemocratic and regressive countries, Russia included, and political ideologies.

Employing these tactics against the Georgian government is unfair, harmful, and immoral. First, it is unfair because Georgian government is renowned for its public integrity, and has a long track record of commitment to Western integration. According to virtually ALL international authoritative rankings, Georgia is one of the least corrupt countries in the entire world, with one of the most transparent government. Also, in the course of the last decade, the Georgian Dream government brought Georgia closer to NATO, successfully negotiated the Association Agreement with the EU, including the free-trade area, got a visa-free travel to Europe for Georgian citizens, and achieved the recognition of the European Perspective for the country. And, if the European Council’s decision at the end of this year is fair, Georgia will receive the EU candidate country status as well. Georgian government has also conducted a wide range of democratic, liberal, and progressive reforms, including, for example, adoption of the ‘anti-discrimination law’ for protecting minorities, which all previous government had failed to pass.

Trying to undermine the Georgian Dream government is also harmful, because, currently, Georgia faces a twofold challenge, both of which require extraordinary exertion of all national resources. The first is the geopolitical challenge emanating from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Keeping Georgia safe while supporting Ukraine is a struggle of epic proportions for our people and government. Second, fulfilling EU’s 12 recommendations is a very daunting task amidst external dangers and domestic radicalism. In this context, undermining the government with deceitful tactics is not helpful, to say the least. Such duplicity against Georgian government contrasts sharply with much more loyal treatment of their respective governments by civil societies in some other EU candidate states.

And, finally, undermining Georgian government by falsely separating it from the Georgian people is immoral. The early claims about the rigged elections of October 2020 that underpinned the radical opposition’s revolutionary zeal, have since proved to be false. The lingering revolutionary tactic, however, still fuels polarization, and polarization may tear the social fabric of our nation irreparably. It is true that Georgia now has stronger national democratic institutions than ever before. Yet, we have to remember that the independent Georgian state is only three decades old, having gone through the stages of repeated Russian invasions, civil conflicts, Saakashvili’s dictatorship, and now vicious radicalization of politics. Now more than ever, Georgia needs unity and cooperation, and the immoral tactic of separating government from people goes against Georgia’s vital interests”, - writes Shalva Papuashvili.