Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the parliamentary majority and executive secretary of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, has praised recent statements by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, key figures in the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump. According to Mdinaradze, these statements reflect a shared commitment to transparency in foreign funding and the defense of traditional values, issues that align with the Georgian Dream’s core principles.
Speaking in response to a question about Musk and Ramaswamy’s remarks on financial transparency for NGOs, Mdinaradze highlighted their importance in the context of Georgia’s relationship with its Western partners. He described Musk as “a unique synthesis of tradition and modernity,” whose opinions, he argued, hold far greater significance than those of European bureaucrats like Lithuanian MEP Andrius Kubilius.
“It is very encouraging to see such attitudes emerging. Do you remember when one of your colleagues asked why we were happy about predicting Trump’s victory? This is why. Just look at the statements made by members of his team in recent days—people who shape the modern world with their opinions,” Mdinaradze stated.
He further emphasized the value of a partnership with an America that supports traditional family values and transparency in foreign funding, contrasting it with previous criticisms from European and US officials.
“My personal view is that Elon Musk embodies a remarkable balance of conservatism, tradition, and modernity. That’s why his words are far more valuable to me than, let’s say, those of Kubilius. It’s also encouraging that the incoming US administration has shown a positive attitude toward two key principles for the Georgian Dream: family and traditional values, and transparency in foreign funding. These are issues we’ve always stood for,” he said.
Mdinaradze criticized previous Western responses to Georgian Dream’s positions, including opposition to LGBTQ+ promotion in schools and the controversial Transparency of Foreign Influence law, which many viewed as a crackdown on civil society. He claimed that some European and US bureaucrats had pressured Georgia to abandon these initiatives while unfairly accusing the Georgian Dream of opposing Western values.
“How can we not be pleased when the new US administration’s representatives speak positively about the same issues we care about? This is the America we want to cooperate with—an America that doesn’t lecture or fight us through bureaucrats because we won’t allow LGBTQ+ propaganda in schools but instead supports our stance,” Mdinaradze added.
He also reiterated the Georgian Dream’s desire for a partnership with Europe and America that respects Georgia’s choices and values.
“Protecting traditional values and receiving such messages from a global superpower is certainly encouraging. Let me clarify: we want to work with a Europe and an America that share these values, not ones that criticize us for upholding them. This is why we talk about ‘dignity in Europe,’” he stated.
Mdinaradze’s remarks come as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy recently commented on the need for greater transparency in US government funding for NGOs. Ramaswamy, in a post on X, called for a review of foreign aid and nonprofit transparency, stating, “Americans deserve to know how their money is being spent.” Musk publicly agreed with this stance, further amplifying the debate.
