Georgian Dream had pro-Russian course, 2022 war forced open choice, Gigi Gigiadze

Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party had a pro-Russian orientation from the outset but was forced to make a clear choice after events in 2022, according to Gigi Gigiadze, a senior fellow at the Economic Policy Research Center.

Speaking about Georgia’s foreign policy trajectory on Wednesday, Gigiadze said the party ultimately aligned itself with what he described as an “aggressive, revanchist Russia”, rather than the Western world.

“In my view, Georgian Dream had chosen a Russian course from the very beginning, but the events of 2022 forced them to pick a side,” he said. “Their colour palette narrowed to just black and white: there was either the civilised world, or aggressive, revanchist Russia - and they decided very quickly which one to choose.”

Gigiadze noted recent political developments were pushing Georgia further away from the path of European integration and damaging the country’s prospects of closer ties with the European Union.

He pointed to “increasingly critical rhetoric” from European partners, noting that concerns had been voiced not only by members of the European Parliament but also following meetings of EU foreign ministers.

“There is no longer any doubt that this de facto government, this political force, is causing enormous damage to our country in terms of its relationship with Europe and its European future,” he said.