Day: April 1, 2024

“Football does unite Georgia,” Guram Kashia, the 36-year-old captain of the Georgian national football team, told reporters late on March 26, shortly after leaving the field following a historic victory over Greece. Excited and exhausted at the same time, Kashia struggled to find words. So was the rest of the country: the match, decided on penalties after 120 minutes of dramatic scoreless play, allowed Georgia to qualify for the European Championship for the first time in its history, fulfilling a decades-long dream for the overwhelmingly football-obsessed nation (read more about that obsession in our earlier blog). The noise and celebrations in the streets of Tbilisi and other cities continued into the wee hours of the morning. Songs were sung, tears of joy were shed, hugs were exchanged, and dance moves were attempted – sometimes with great success.

A week passed, and the shared euphoria had not abated. The popular joke goes that overnight, Georgia has taken Finland’s status as the “happiest country,” leaping up from 91st place in the ranking. But with all happiness comes an anxious thought – what does it mean? Will it make us better? It just might – and there is no better illustration of this than the story of the captain himself.

Here is Nini and the Dispatch to talk about (another) historic victory and the impact it may have on Georgia.

The Defender

On November 13, 2017, a violent mob stormed Kutaisi’s Torpedo Stadium, where the national team was scheduled to play a friendly match against Belarus. Georgian March – the most prominent far-right group in the country at the time – arrived in the western Georgian city with one mission: to disrupt the match and put more pressure on Kashia, a defender and vice-captain, to resign from the team. Kashia’s ordeal began after he agreed to wear a rainbow armband as part of a major anti-hate campaign in the Eredivisie, a top Dutch football league. The Georgian defender moved to the Netherlands in 2010 to play for Vitesse and has led the club to some of its biggest victories over the years. The game won him the love of the Dutch fans, and he was soon elected club captain. However, his foreign career cost him a major scandal back home.

The rainbow armband quickly made him the target of a virulent hate campaign that divided the country. Conservative voices wanted him out of the national team – or at least to apologize. The November friendly against Belarus was when things got really physical and dangerous. The Georgian March managed to enter the stadium and demonstratively burned the rainbow flag to torment the vice-captain. The growing backlash at Kashia failed. As a true defender, he went on to proactively protect not himself but the principles he stood for. “I don’t regret what I did,” he said in one of his interviews, “I don’t care who you are, what you do in your life, as long as you don’t hurt others.

… and as long as you let me watch the game

Some of the fans, teammates, and Georgian liberal groups openly supported Kashia. And the hate groups’ attempts to disrupt the Belarus game ended up being counterproductive: The people of Kutaisi weren’t having it. Videos showed fans in the stadium not welcoming the marchers. After the game, locals expressed dissatisfaction with the violent stunt: some were unhappy that they had not been able to get in on time to watch the game, and others said they had come to show their support for the vice-captain. There were reports that those who still managed to get in on time tried to silence the far-right noise with their supportive chants.

Months and years passed, but the Georgian defender never hid from his past. What’s more, he readily reflected on that controversy – and on his fears of “not being true to myself.” He proudly accepted awards for his courage, including from UEFA and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. The player began to appear frequently in various social campaigns, repeatedly meeting with young fans to talk about gender equality or to speak out against bullying and violence.

But it takes a lot more than being a liberal darling to continue playing for the national team in a conservative country – and in a sport known to be rife with homophobia. This is especially true for defenders, who, unlike forwards, are judged more by their mistakes than their successes. His haters never forgot the rainbow band, which meant that every mistake would cost him extra hate.

Kashia recently waded into more controversy: a few months ago, the national team captains were allowed to name the three best footballers in the world for the (controversial) Best FIFA Football Awards 2023. Kashia placed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the most famous Georgian player today, in third place behind Messi and Mbappe. This upset some fans who slammed the captain for choosing objectivity over patriotism, and some saw it as a logical continuation of his “unpatriotic” actions.

Crowds in Tbilisi’s Republic Square cheer in Kvaratskhelia, Kashia, as the national team bus arrives to meet fans after the victory on March 26. Photo: Nini Gabritchidze

Boys next door 

Over time, however, it became clear that his actions had earned him more love than hate. Though often not openly expressed, it often seems that his uncompromising stance and courage invited respect even from those who did not necessarily share his values. His sincere and caring qualities made him a good leader. In 2022, he became captain of the national team. A week ago, his team made history by qualifying for the European Championship. It happened in Kashia’s 112th match for the national team, a record for any Georgian player.

Kashia “has enough courage for everything,” said Nika Kvekveskiri, another Georgian player, back in 2017. Kvekveskiri was one of the few who openly defended his teammate and the things his teammate defended. A week ago, it was Kvekveskiri who scored the winning penalty, thrusting the 31-year-old midfielder into a whole new spotlight. His own story of displacement, early life struggles, and perseverance made the rounds on social media. The same was true for the rest of the team – some young, some older, all looking like the simple, humble, relatable boys next door. Many attribute the victory to the remarkable dedication they showed on the field and the tremendous support they received from their fans – which was the entire country.

Georgian athletes have excelled in many sports. But football, the one game in which the country has struggled to achieve on a team level, has always held a special significance. The flags, celebrations, and current excitement are less about pride in what the country is now and more about the hopes for what it can become through hard work and dedication. The victory on March 26 served as a serotonin boost, a unifying force for a society that has seen much polarization and division in recent years.

Children playing football on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue during Independence Day celebrations, May 26, 2023. Photo: Nini Gabritchidze

“Maybe we are not all that bad”

The victory comes as some privately worry that historic achievements – of which Georgia has had quite a few lately – are something wicked politicians will try to exploit in an election year. Maybe they will, and maybe it will help them. And yet the current happiness and unity won’t help their tactics – or the tactics of anyone trying to score political points through hatred and division. Autocracies thrive on hatred and pessimism. The new optimism and confidence come just when ruling elites try to win elections by bringing out the worst in Georgian voters.

On the night of March 26, Kashia’s name was chanted repeatedly. The night also saw some booing – directed at politicians who, after years of incessant attempts to pit the country’s citizens against each other, shamelessly hoped to join those united in joy.

The campaign for the 2024 elections, slated in October, is in full swing. The ruling party is trying to retain its majority for the fourth consecutive legislature term. At the same time, the fragmented opposition is trying to get its act together to loosen the Georgian Dream’s grip on power.

Starting today, the Daily Beat users will also receive the Election Brief every second Tuesday. We will focus on systemic issues that affect the election environment, the campaign hot-button issues, and curious news and incidents from the campaign trail.

The following covers election-related updates spanning March 18-29

Election environment

Changes in the Central Election Commission:  The parliamentary majority overrode the President’s veto and adopted the amendments to the Electoral Code of Georgia. The power to announce the competition and to nominate the Central Election Commission (CEC) chair passes from the President to the Speaker of the Parliament. Abolished is the position of the deputy chair of CEC, which was to be filled by the opposition representative. Majority Leader Mamuka Mdinaradze, PM Irakli Kobakhidze, and other GD leaders spun a conspiracy theory that the opposition (specifically, the Lelo party of Mamuka Khazaradze was mentioned) was planning to incapacitate the CEC chair and thus install the deputy at the key post ahead of the elections. GD leaders say the amendments fulfill one of the nine conditions of the European Commission, which is to ensure free and fair elections. Election wonks (and the President) cry foul.

Gov’t Ignores Calls to Expand Voting Abroad: On March 22, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili downplayed the need to expand the availability of voting stations abroad. He said Georgian citizens should register at the Consulates and vote in the available stations, as per current procedure. Girchi-More Freedom and Droa parties have been running a “Ballot in your box” campaign calling on opening the stations in foreign localities where there are at least 50 Georgian citizens. President Salome Zurabishvili and many CSOs are endorsing this idea. President Zurabishvili lambasted FM Darchiashvili, saying he “shrugs off the responsibility” to facilitate the right to vote. GD lost to the opposition in most Western European polling locations in 2020.

Hot topics

GD campaigns on homophobia… Having spent the past month creating a polarizing media buzz, the Georgian Dream announced the legislative package “On Protection of Family Values and Minors” on March 25. GD Majority Leader Mamuka Mdinaradze said laws would require a change of the Constitution, in a tacit acknowledgment of the civil society and opposition’s assertion that these curbs to the rights of the citizens were unconstitutional. The Georgian Dream falls short of the majority required to adopt the Constitutional Law (it needs 113 MPs) but should be able to pass the draft in the first reading with a 2/3 majority (100 MPs). The next parliament would have to approve the draft with a similar 2/3 majority to make it into law. The mobilizing message for GD’s ultra-conservative base is clear – come out in numbers to vote for us, and we’ll get you rid of the “Gay Propaganda.” The delayed adoption may also serve to soften the international criticism, which is already incoming – the CoE Human Rights Commissioner did not mince her words, saying the draft is “the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections.”

…leaving opponents guessing: Despite the GD announcement, the full text of the draft laws has not yet been made public. Seeing the ruling party’s obvious intent to manipulate the homophobic agenda, and also apparently fearing being painted as “pro-gay” and “against the protection of children,” the opposition parties are largely refraining from commenting before the text of the draft law becomes public. Their common line is to say GD is accenting homophobia to divert attention from other pressing issues, including the ones that directly affect children.

Campaign Trail

Cajoling the Church: On March 19, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze boosted the funding for the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) Patriarchate from GEL 35 million to GEL 65 million for 2024. The increase is to serve education and conservation works. PM Kobakhidze maintained this “has nothing to do with the upcoming elections.” Yet, the parties often look for the GOC favor, the country’s second most trusted institution (after the Army), ahead of elections.

GD Chair in Provinces: GD Chair Irakli Garibashvili has been touring regions of Georgia since March and has already met activists and locals in Ozurgeti (Guria), Zugdidi (Samegrelo), and Adjara. Garibashvili tells Georgians his party needs the Constitutional majority to keep the country at peace (pushing the “second front” narrative) and to prevent the corruption of children by “gender and gay propaganda.”

Riding on victory? The ruling party leaders tried to ride the wave of excitement as the Georgian national football team qualified for EURO 2024 for the first time in history on March 26. But PM Irakli Kobakhidze and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze were booed by some in the crowd. At the cabinet session the next day the ministers sported the national team’s colors, and PM Kobakhidze promised to decorate the team with state honors.

Keep spinning off: People’s Power, born as a radically anti-Western and anti-European offshoot of the ruling party, officially registered as a political party on March 18. Former GD MP Sozar Subari was elected as its leader. The movement was created in 2022 by GD deputies and initiated the infamous “Foreign Agents” bill (defeated in March 2023 protests) and stood at the origins of the “Gay Propaganda” bill. GD majority leader Mdinaradze congratulated the new party, saying “They are on the same side and share the same views on many issues,” including national values, traditions, peace policy, etc. People’s Power MPs are currently the parts of the majority faction.

#FreeMisha Campaign: The main opposition party, the United National Movement, has ended its nationwide campaign in which party members collected the signatures of an estimated 200,000 Georgian citizens, including electronic signatures from abroad, demanding the release of former Georgian President, UNM founder, Mikheil Saakashvili. On March 25, their procession, which began in the western Georgian city of Tsalenjikha and marched through Zugdidi, Kutaisi, and Gori, culminated in the capital, Tbilisi. The party held a demonstration in front of the presidential palace and handed the signatures to the President, who holds the discretionary power of pardon.

Social face of UNM: Apart from the hot-button issue of Saakashvili’s release, UNM mostly campaigning on socio-economic woes, blaming GD for poverty, rising prices, and galloping emigration. “While people are going in a forced emigration because of increased prices, unemployment, Ivanishvili’s party calls it “going for travel” and considers it an invented [issue]” said Tina Bokuchava; “Our opponent is, on the one hand, the Georgian Dream regime, and on the other hand the problems of the people and the country: poverty, emigration, and rising prices,” said Petre Tsiskarishvili; “Since 2012, more than 800,000 people left the country. Intelligent people are leaving the country to provide for their families,” said Ana Tsitlidze.

Grigoriadis film screening: European Georgia, together with the Liberty Institute, produced a film called “The 12 Judges of Lazare”, the screening of which took place in the run-up of Lazare Grigoriadis’ trial. The film is a courtroom re-enactment of a jury selection and jury trial based on the real case of Grigoriadis. The party hopes it serves to show the advantages of jury trials – one of its campaign promises – as a means to improve the quality of justice.

Welfare promises by Lelo: Under the leadership of Mamuka Khazaradze, Lelo for Georgia holds meetings with the people. During these meetings, as well as on television, party leaders promise “creating 200,000 jobs,” “raising pensions to GEL 1,000,” and “guaranteeing the first paid job for graduates. One such public meeting in recent weeks was held on March 24. On March 21, the party opened a new office in the city of Gori.

Competing for Student Votes: At a meeting with students on March 19, Lelo for Georgia informed students about the initiative to guarantee jobs after graduation. At the same time, PM Kobakhidze, together with Minister of Education Giorgi Amilakhvari, announced on March 23 plans to launch a paid internship program for graduates starting in September. PM Kobakhidze has already spoken to students about this plan in two separate meetings in Tbilisi and regional universities.

Get-together in the middle? Aleko Elisashvili, leader of the Citizens’ Party, which has two seats in Parliament, has proposed to join forces with parties and independent actors that he considers to be “in the middle,” i.e., not close to or affiliated with either GD or UNM. He specifically mentioned Lelo for Georgia, Girchi (not to be confused with Girchi-More Freedom…), Gakharia for Georgia, and Ana Dolidze’s For People. He also said that talks are currently underway only with Girchi. “If we want change, we have to temporarily put aside the party agendas and think about the common contours. Such in-the-middle forces could get 30-40 percent [of the vote in the elections],” Elisashvili said. 

Aleksi Adeishvili, a Georgian citizen who was illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces near the occupied village of Akhmaji, Akhalgori municipality (near Tskhinvali occupation line), has been released and is now on the territory controlled by Tbilisi, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) reported on April 1.

According to the same information, the SSSG actively used the hotline mechanism to secure Adeishvili’s release from illegal detention. “The central government of Georgia raised the issue of his immediate release from illegal detention at the meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM),” the SSSG said, adding that “the central government, together with international partners, continues to work actively for the release of all Georgian citizens illegally detained in the occupied territories.”

According to the SSSG, the responsibility for all destructive actions carried out in the occupied regions of Georgia and along the occupation line lies with the occupying forces.

Also Read:

• 15/03/2024 – Two Georgian Citizens Released by Russian Occupation Forces
• 28/02/2024 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces
• 09/02/2024 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces Released
• 15/01/2024 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces