Georgian political analyst: Gov’t fears talk of revolution as it knows people aren’t on its side

Political analyst Davit Zurabishvili has said the ruling Georgian Dream party reacted with fear every time the idea of revolution was mentioned, because it was aware of its waning public support.

“Every time someone mentions revolution, the likes of [ruling party Executive Secretary Mamuka] Mdinaradze and [PM Irakli] Kobakhidze start to panic,” Zurabishvili told reporters on Friday. “They know very well that the people are not on their side - even their own internal polling reflects this.”

Zurabishvili, who took part in Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution, rejected comparisons between that period and the current political climate, saying the situations were fundamentally different.

“At that time, state institutions had collapsed - pensions and salaries weren’t being paid, and a large part of the population supported the opposition. It all followed blatant electoral fraud,” he said.

He argued that while Georgian Dream’s propaganda efforts may have helped sustain support ahead of past elections, recent moves - including “politically charged prosecutions,” a perceived “shift away from the country’s European course,” and “growing use of repressive measures” - had failed to work in the government’s favour.

“They thought the arrests and court cases would demoralise people and make them give up on resistance,” Zurabishvili said. “But the result has been the opposite - public anger has only increased.”

He acknowledged, however, that forcing a change of government outside of elections would be extremely difficult. “Saying, ‘let’s first break their back and change the government, and then hold elections,’ essentially assumes the authorities will surrender - and that is a very tall order,” he concluded.