Zourabichvili Warns of Russian Influence and Democratic Collapse
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has issued a stark warning that the country is facing an "existential challenge" as its democratic institutions are systematically dismantled by the ruling Georgian Dream party. Speaking before Lithuania's Parliament on March 25, she urged Europe and NATO to act quickly before Georgia falls under Russian influence, emphasizing that the crisis extends beyond Georgia itself.
Zourabichvili accused the Georgian Dream government of reversing the country's democratic progress and shifting toward an authoritarian model aligned with Russia. She warned that the ruling party is abandoning its pro-European commitments, putting Georgia at risk of falling into Moscow's sphere of influence.
"The Russian nightmare, which we thought was part of history since our independence, is coming back to haunt us in the 21st century," Zourabichvili declared.
She condemned the government's crackdown on dissent, highlighting the arrests of journalists, students, civil society leaders, and opposition figures. "In Georgia today, we are a nation under repression," she said, citing the detention of Mzia Amaghlobeli, director of the Batumelebi/Netgazeti media outlet, and the ongoing trial of 11 protesters.
Zourabichvili denounced the use of financial pressure to silence activists, stating that economic penalties are deliberately imposed to weaken opposition voices. "These are designed to financially cripple activists and their families," she said.
She further accused the ruling party of abandoning governance altogether, instead focusing solely on suppressing opposition. "There is no economic policy, no foreign policy. Repression has become the only and exclusive policy," she stated.
Zourabichvili also criticized Georgian Dream's plan to introduce a U.S.-inspired Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), calling it a tool to suffocate civil society and independent media, similar to Russia's infamous "foreign agents" law. "It has nothing to do with the American model," she stressed.
She warned that power is being consolidated under Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party's founder and honorary chairman. "The one-party, but in reality one-man rule has taken over the state, over politics, over social life. Georgia's independence itself is under siege," she said.
Zourabichvili framed Georgia's crisis as part of a broader geopolitical struggle, warning that Moscow seeks to reassert control over the Black Sea region, the Caucasus, and Europe's access to Central Asia.
She also accused the Georgian government of blocking critical infrastructure projects, such as the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, which she described as Georgia's chance to create a trade corridor independent of Russian control. Instead, she noted, the government is welcoming Chinese influence over key infrastructure projects.
The president urged the EU and NATO to take a closer look at financial networks supporting the regime, arguing that Georgia is becoming a hub for Russian sanctions evasion. She warned that a new offshore law has created a "gray zone" for sanctioned oligarchs and illicit financial activities.
"The EU cannot remain passive," she insisted, advocating for sanctions tied to democratic conditions, including early elections. "If we do not find this alternative together, Georgia risks either full Russian control or dangerous instability."
Zourabichvili emphasized that Europe's security is at stake, calling for a new Black Sea and Caucasus security strategy. She argued that strengthening NATO's presence in the region is indispensable to blocking Russian and Chinese expansion.
She also linked Georgia's fate to broader regional stability, particularly in Armenia and Azerbaijan, where ongoing peace talks present an opportunity for a stronger and more peaceful Caucasus. "Georgia must remain the strong anchor of our EU and American partners, as it has been for the past three decades," she said.
Finally, Zourabichvili warned that Europe's credibility is on the line. "If Europe. cannot find the ways to have leverage on a small country with a massively pro-European population. then the challenge goes much beyond Georgia and will affect the credibility of the EU's foreign policy."
