Levan Makhashvili: International law has broken down, global order no longer exists, and Georgia is using legislation to protect itself

“International law has broken down, and there is no longer an established global order,” Levan Makhashvili, chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, said during an appearance on the television programme Open Air.

According to Makhashvili, countries are increasingly pursuing their own interests, seeking to gain as much as possible, whether through established rules or outside them.

“This is certainly not a debate unique to Georgia. Today, it is a global discussion about how sovereign states can protect themselves in an era of modern geopolitical challenges. Five years ago, we may have been living in a completely different world. Today, the international environment has fundamentally changed,” Makhashvili said.

“International law has broken down, and there is no established order. The traditional distinctions between friends and enemies no longer apply. Everyone is pursuing their own interests, trying to secure as much as possible, either within the rules or outside them. Some do so through dialogue and established diplomatic practices, while others operate without regard for those rules,” he continued.

Makhashvili argued that examples of actions outside established norms included direct interference in elections and attempts to gain influence through various forms of pressure.

“We have witnessed numerous examples of what happens when the rules are disregarded, including direct interference in elections and attempts to exert influence through different forms of pressure,” he said.

Against this backdrop, Makhashvili said Georgia had limited means of defending its sovereignty and therefore relied on legislation as a protective mechanism.

“What could Georgia do in such circumstances? Fortunately or unfortunately, we do not possess nuclear weapons. The only means we have to protect ourselves, the only shield available to us, is our legislation. We are using laws to defend ourselves, and one such law a shield for democracy, if you will was the legislative package on transparency,” Makhashvili said.