Zourabichvili Criticizes New 'Values' Group, Warns Against Escalating Tensions
By Messenger Staff
Friday, July 31, 2026
Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has criticized a newly formed group seeking to draft legislation protecting "traditional values" and national identity, saying its creation represents a "great insult" to the Georgian police and shows a lack of trust in state institutions.
The group, launched by actor Giorgi Shanidze, film director Giorgi Sikharulidze, and Batumi Theatre director Kote Mzhavia, says it plans to prepare legislative proposals aimed at protecting the Georgian Orthodox Church, national heroes, the Georgian language, historical heritage, and traditional values.
Zourabichvili said the move was part of a wider political process that was weakening the rule of law. "With the establishment of this group, in fact, distrust has been declared towards the police as an institution," she said.
She called on all sides to avoid actions that could escalate tensions into violence, saying society should not respond to provocation with similar methods. She also criticized offensive slogans and messages, saying political disagreements should be expressed through arguments rather than insults.
Zourabichvili accused the Georgian Dream government of responding to criticism with personal attacks and said online campaigns involving "bots" and "trolls" had been used for years to increase polarization. Referring to her own experience, she said she had criticized the government from parliament but was labeled a "traitor" by the prime minister during an appearance in front of the military.
She said the new organization should be taken seriously because, in her view, it was not a spontaneous initiative but part of a broader government strategy. Zourabichvili warned that the goal could be to divide society and create instability, comparing the approach to what she described as Russia's methods of destabilization.
However, she urged citizens not to respond by forming similar groups or engaging in confrontation. "We should not find big-muscled people somewhere and start creating the same kind of group and confronting them," she said, warning that such a cycle would only increase tensions.
Zourabichvili called on Georgians to protect peace and avoid being drawn into actions that could harm the country's stability.
