GD's Mdinaradze: visa liberalization pressure used to incite unrest in Georgia

The leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority and chairman of the Georgian Dream faction, Mamuka Mdinaradze, responded to the European Commission's recent letter during a broadcast of Imedi LIVE, claiming that external actors are attempting to destabilize Georgia through fear-based messaging linked to visa liberalization.

According to Mdinaradze, since it became clear that Georgia would not be drawn into war, efforts have shifted toward changing the government.

“You probably remember the mocking campaign against those who genuinely care for their homeland—those labeled as not wanting war. That campaign is no longer in the foreground, but we must remain aware that for those who don't think about Georgia and follow foreign directives, the only way to activate the war narrative is by replacing the current government with one that will enter the war with a snap of a finger,” Mdinaradze said.

He argued that Georgia is surrounded by regional conflicts and “a ring of fire,” referencing Syria, Iran, and Ukraine, but emphasized that Georgia’s current leadership has proven resistant to pressure for military involvement.

Mdinaradze claimed that 'radical opposition' forces and their foreign sponsors are now focusing on using visa liberalization as a tool of blackmail.

“Their last remaining trump card is to provoke internal unrest and manipulate public sentiment through fear-mongering messages about losing visa-free travel,” he noted.
“The idea is to scare people into removing their own government—one that won't enter a war—and replacing it with one that will.”

He further alleged that opposition actors are organizing around this narrative, aiming to influence events in early to mid-September.

“This is their last hope—to make the Georgian people get rid of their government with their own hands. But we will overcome this as well, and in the end, everyone will realize that without the Georgian people and their elected leadership, manipulation has no effect,” Mdinaradze concluded.