Ruling party MP slams pension hike proposal as populist

Levan Machavariani, First Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Dream faction, criticized the initiative by opposition Gakharia for Georgia to raise pensions by GEL 200, calling it “populist and irresponsible” for lacking concrete arguments and safeguard mechanisms.

Speaking at a Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee session on Monday, Machavariani urged opposition representatives to avoid populism in sensitive issues and include measures to mitigate potential risks. 

“When you talk about 250,000 people and lowering the minimum threshold of salaries, it’s very good. We would wish pensions were twice as high, but we see the risk that half of these people could end up unemployed,” he said.

Machavariani stressed that responsible governance required preparing proposals with specific economic safeguards, warning that presenting ideas without them created unrealistic expectations and risked public safety and economic stability.

In response, Giorgi Sharashidze of Gakharia Georgia clarified that references to “political police” were general, not targeting specific officers.

 Machavariani countered, stressing that demonstrations in Georgia were monitored by police who “act heroically,” and that the opposition’s labeling of law enforcement reflected a distorted view of their role.