Gov’t anti-western rhetoric not a key problem – ex-defence minister Khidasheli

Former defence minister of Georgia, Tinatin Khidasheli, told Front News on Wednesday that “it is not a main problem that the current authorities are making anti-western statements”, in comments on the expansion of the Popular Force, a movement founded by former ruling party MPs, who have been attacking the US and the EU in their statements since June, and their vows to cooperate with the GD despite the split. 

The former official suggested that the “key problem is that there is no political force on the scene which will replace the party”. 

She said that it was a “regular, political process” when the government on the one hand named the US as a main strategic partner, and on the other hand continued to cooperate with its “anti-western” former MPs. 

“The authorities will continue to do so, until they have legitimacy, until they feel a threat of losing power”, said Khidasheli, adding that when the  public decided that they did not want the authorities, the government would change, as well as its strategy. 

The former official stated that a main task now was forming a new, pro-Western flank.

“I do not have the feeling that a large part of society sees this problem. The June events had pushed a lot of people to the street, but it was not a politically organized process. The attitude towards the EU and the statements being made against the US ambassador accelerates the process of forming a critical society”, Khidasheli said. 

She noted that the Georgian Dream was losing its pro-western voters on a daily basis, stressing that the people should have a choice of whom to join.