President Salome Zurabishvili addressed a joint session of the Italian Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and the European Affairs Committee on December 20, providing a detailed overview of the current political situation in Georgia. During her speech, she discussed the rigged elections, the involvement of institutions in electoral fraud, and the Georgian people’s aspirations for EU membership. Zurabishvili criticized the Georgian Dream party’s anti-democratic actions and rhetoric and stressed that the recent protests were peaceful and reflected the demands of Georgian citizens for new elections “to keep this country stable, to keep this country democratic, to keep this country free, and to keep this country on its European path.”
Zurabishvili condemned the October 26 elections as “pre-planned” and organized in a “Russian-style” manner, citing widespread fraud and institutional complicity. In particular, the President pointed to the failure of the judiciary to hold those responsible to account. She noted that judges had failed to address violations of the secrecy and universality of the ballot, and stressed that all court decisions were favorable to the election commission, making it clear that the Georgian judicial system could not be relied upon to correct electoral wrongs.
She spoke about Georgia’s Constitutional Court, which Zurabishvili criticised for rejecting election-related appeals. She also condemned the GD’s decision to convene the first session of parliament, calling it “unconstitutional”. According to Zurabishvili, it was her prerogative as President to call the first session, and GD’s move was a direct violation of the Constitution. She pointed out that the first session was held before the Constitutional Court had ruled on the appeals.
Turning to the wider geopolitical context, Zurabishvili expressed concern about Russia’s growing influence in the region. She argued that the Georgian election fraud was part of a ‘hybrid war’ strategy; having ‘failed to achieve its objective in Ukraine’, Russia was now ‘testing an alternative to that, which is hybrid war against some of its neighbours, and we are the first testing ground’, the President said. Describing Russian-style propaganda around the elections, Zurabishvili highlighted the threat posed by Moscow’s new strategy, as tested in Georgia, noting that “it is less costly because it is much less direct”.
“It is not the question of opposing the results that put one political force instead of another; it is really a question of Europe or Russia,” Zurabishvili declared. She criticized GD for its clear efforts to push Georgia towards the “Russian orbit,” noting that all institutions and regulatory commissions were controlled by individuals appointed by the ruling party. Zurabishvili described herself as the “last independent institution that exists” in the country.
“The authorities in Georgia have become practically proxies of the Russians,” she said, referring to the adoption of Russian-inspired laws such as the “foreign agent” law and the recent legislative changes in the public service laws, which she called “a major way of intimidation” of civil servants, and seen as the GD’s new strategy to stifle opposition and maintain control over the state apparatus. She also recalled recent laws passed by the GD authorities restricting freedom of expression and assembly.
The called the recent “election” of the new president a “parody”. She also spoke about “strong pressure” on opposition political parties, some of whose leaders had recently been arrested, and on civil society.
The President also condemned the actions of the ruling party over the past two years, stressing that every decision taken by the GD has been detrimental to Georgia’s EU aspirations. She cited the “destructive rhetoric” of GD leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and the ruling party, who attacked Europeans and Americans as “global war inspirers” trying to start a new war in Georgia against Russia.
In her speech, Zurabishvili stressed the geopolitical threat posed by Russia, particularly in the Caucasus and Black Sea regions, and urged the international community to be vigilant. “There is a whole new reorganization of the geopolitical map, and Russia is trying to interfere with it,” she said, noting Russia’s ongoing attacks on Georgia, Moldova, and Romania.
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