Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, on Wednesday accused the European Union of a “muted response” to what she describes as a growing authoritarian threat in Georgia.
Speaking before the Czech Senate, Zourabichvili claimed Georgia was being “dragged into Russia’s orbit” and called on the EU to take “immediate, concrete action”.
“The reaction of Europe and the European Union has been very muted,” Zourabichvili said. “Almost a year ago, Georgia was granted EU candidate status. Today, the same country is being turned into a testing ground for authoritarian tactics”, she said.
The official warned that the crisis unfolding in Georgia extended beyond its borders, describing it as part of a broader challenge to liberal democracy across the continent.
“This is a challenge for liberal democracy, both in Georgia and in Europe,” she said. “If democracy in Georgia can be destroyed in a year, after three decades of support, then what does this say about the sustainability of democracy? If we allow this, we send a signal that democratic institutions are weak and that autocrats can succeed if they act. Georgians are ready to resist”, she pledged.
Zourabichvili emphasized that inaction by European institutions could have lasting consequences. “If we fail to protect Georgia today, we may wake up to a completely different Europe tomorrow,” she said.
Zourabichvili further pointed to what she described as a new form of Russian interference – a hybrid strategy that forgoes military force in favor of more covert methods.
“What Russia failed to do with tanks in Georgia and Ukraine, it is now attempting through other means,” Zourabichvili warned. “This new action plan does not need an army. It only needs three components – electoral manipulation, propaganda, and a puppet oligarch who will take over the institutions from within.”
She urged the EU to move beyond words and adopt a “clear political strategy. “We will continue the fight,” she said, “but our partners must first ensure the protection of the elections. Free and fair elections will be meaningless without safeguards.”
Zourabichvili also called for “targeted financial sanctions” against those funding anti-democratic activities and urged EU leaders to “publicly reaffirm” their support for Georgia’s European path.
Addressing Czech lawmakers, she drew a parallel to their own historical struggles. “The Czech people know what propaganda, occupation, and liberation mean,” she said. “We are not asking you to fight for us – we are asking you to stand with us, to raise your voice, and to act decisively.”
