‘Your Voice to the European Union’ March & more – 14th Dec 2023

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 14th of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

We kick off this episode with the gigantic pro-EU demonstration. On Saturday the 9th, local civil society organizations in Tbilisi organized a public pro-EU march named "Your Voice to the European Union." The event took place one week before the European Council's decision on Georgia's EU candidacy. President Salome Zourabichvili joined the march but government officials did not participate in the demonstration. The organizers created a remarkable EU flag, the largest in the world, twenty-two meters wide and thirty-three meters long, specifically for the event. They symbolically made the twelve stars for the flag in twelve different regions of Georgia, then they transported them to the capital, where they were sewn to the EU flag.

On that note about Georgia’s EU integration, ahead of the European Union summit, which will take place on the 14th and 15th of December, Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, explored potential outcomes against the backdrop of Hungary's veto threat regarding Ukraine's accession talks. While most EU countries support granting candidate status to Tbilisi, Hungary's objection complicates matters. On Monday the 4th, Viktor Orban, Hungary's Prime Minister, sent a letter to Charlez Michel, the European Council President, declaring the end of the EU's enlargement policy and discouraging a December decision, citing a lack of consensus. The European Commission recommended granting Georgia EU candidate status on the 8th of November. The summit's decisions, especially regarding Ukraine, face challenges due to Hungary's opposition, potentially impacting broader EU unity on enlargement policies. It’s complicated in general. Georgian Dream or Otsneba want candidate status, but do what Putin says as does Orban, and Putin hates the EU and anybody getting close to it, remember the twenty fourteen Russian invasion of Ukraine. So is Orban just providing an excuse?

On Tuesday the 12th, President Salome Zourabichvili, speaking in an interview in Prague, emphasized that an EU denial of Georgia's candidate status would lead to deep frustration among Georgians, especially considering the European Commission's recent recommendation. She warned that such a decision would not only disappoint her compatriots but also provide "huge satisfaction" to Russia, reinforcing Moscow's perception of Georgia as part of its sphere of influence. Zourabichvili highlighted the risk of Russia using the frustration for propaganda and blaming the EU, portraying Georgia as neglected.

On Saturday, the 9th, the Security Service of Georgia confirmed that three local policemen beat to death Temur Karbaia, a forty-three-year-old Georgiann citizen, in Gali, Abkhazia. Reportedly, the policemen stopped Karbaia to check his documents in the center of the town of Gali and started insulting and beating him in front of numerous onlookers. He was later taken to the hospital, but his injuries were so severe that doctors couldn’t save him. President Salome Zourabichvili said on her social media account that this “is a tragic reminder of the blatant violations of elementary human rights in the territories occupied by Russia.” According to Formula TV, the Abkhazian Internal Ministry arrested and then released about ten law enforcement officials, including representatives of the criminal police, from the Gali department in connection with the killing of Temur Karbaia. Shalva Papuashvili, Parliament Speaker, said the killing of a Georgian citizen in the Gali district of Abkhazia was another “deplorable fact” showing the “severity” of the situation.

In a follow-up of a story from our last show… On Thursday the 7th, Nika Melia, former leader of the United National Movement, or Natsebi, officially left the party, announcing plans to establish his own. Melia criticized the prevailing political climate in Georgia, emphasizing his commitment to challenging "Bidzina Ivanishvili’s regime" and condemning the informal governance and influence of behind-the-scenes figures within his former party and the government. Describing the corrupt political system, Melia asserted that politicians sacrifice principles for success, fostering a culture of immorality. He expressed a determination to combat the oligarchy's control over Georgia's history, emphasizing the role of the Georgian people. This departure follows his expulsion from the Natsebi on the 27th of November, intensifying pressure on current leader Levan Khabeishvili, who defeated Melia in January twenty twenty-three amidst much chalichi.

Georgian Dream, or Otsneba, rehired Israeli political strategists Moshe Klughaft and Miri Michaeli, co-founders of an AI-generated news company called ACT News, ahead of the twenty twenty-four parliamentary elections. Klughaft, an experienced election strategist, previously collaborated with Otsneba in twenty eighteen and is associated with the party's aggressive campaign tactics. His international election expertise includes contributing to the Romanian Social Democrats' twenty sixteen landslide victory. Klughaft expressed satisfaction with Georgia's development and emphasized achieving substantial tasks while ensuring public awareness. Both strategists have advised prominent Israeli figures, including corrupt fascist Israeli Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett, and are recognized for their influence. Otsneba aims to benefit from their expertise in the upcoming elections. Yikes.

On Monday the 11th, a US nonprofit organization called the National Democratic Institute or NDI commissioned a public opinion poll. According to the results, there is broad support for EU integration. The majority of Georgians, 67%, continue to support NATO membership. The poll reflects a lack of confidence in political parties, with 62% of respondents feeling unrepresented. 46% believe Georgia is a democracy. Citizens mentioned rising prices, jobs, and poverty as the foremost national concerns. 80% of participants see emigration negatively, with low salaries and lack of employment cited as key emigration drivers.

In regional news, Selfi, the sole Georgian mobile operator with a 5G license, will launch 5G services in Bakuriani and Gudauri in December, expanding to other locations, including Tbilisi. Selfi uses cutting-edge technology from Nokia. This advancement promises significantly higher internet speeds and minimal latency, offering diverse opportunities across sectors like transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. The 5G network construction aligns with European Union network security norms.

According to Ambrolauri Municipality City Hall, on Tuesday the 12th, the US European Command's Defense Cooperation Service provided heavy equipment to the State Commissioner's administration in Racha. The equipment, part of a humanitarian aid initiative, will be distributed to regional municipalities based on their needs. Discussions during the meeting emphasized the strong Georgia-US relations and focused on upcoming projects to enhance disaster response and resilience in the Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti region.

On Tuesday the 12th, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced a substantial increase in the twenty twenty-four Ministry of Education and Science budget, reaching 2.5 billion laris, about 900 million US dollars, from 1.9 billion laris, or 700 million US dollars in twenty twenty-three. Garibashvili emphasized the government's commitment to education, contrasting it with the previous administration's neglect. The Prime Minister highlighted a comprehensive plan for educational reform, including a large-scale initiative to renovate and construct 1,000 new schools, adhering to European standards by twenty twenty-seven. Additionally, he pledged in a traditional election year move, an average increase of 500 laris, 180 US dollars, in teacher salaries, with some cases seeing raises of 600 to 800 laris, or 200 to 300 US dollars, which he said while not winking, would enhance the prestige of the teaching profession.

We end this week’s show on a cultural note. The Georgian National Museum network is currently showcasing an exhibition on Etruscan civilization at Tbilisi's Museum of Georgia. In collaboration with the Italian Embassy, the display explores the pre-Roman civilization's mysterious world, presenting artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, the Chianciano Terme Museum of Etruscan History, and the National Etruscan Museum in Chiusi. The exhibition features urns, sculptures, bucchero ceramics, bronze vessels, and gold objects discovered in the Chiusi area through archaeological digs. Additionally, it includes two exhibits related to western Georgia's ancient Colchis Kingdom, highlighting a clay vessel and a bronze mirror that illustrate the theme of the Argonauts' ancient myth. The exhibition will run at the Tbilisi venue until the 31st of March, then move to the Vani Archaeological Museum in Georgia's west until the 31st of August.