Opposition politician urges economists to speak out on ‘economic crisis’

Opposition politician and former head of the country’s National Bank, Roman Gotsiridze has called on economists to take a more active role in public debate, saying both political parties and the media lack qualified economic voices.

He said on Wednesday the country was facing a difficult economic situation and argued that economists should be the ones leading discussion on the issue.

“Economists, step out of your comfort zone. What is the situation today? Because there are no competent evaluators of events, many issues remain uncovered in the media. Only five or six economists cooperate with television channels,” he said.

Gotsiridze noted that regular media appearances required significant time and may lead to financial losses, citing the time commitment involved in attending television programmes. 

He described those who engage with the media as “a kind of philanthropists”, adding that the vast majority have no political ambitions and do not seek public visibility to raise their profiles.

“If parties are wise, they should include these new faces in their parliamentary lists,” he said, adding that parties were not distinguished by an abundance of economists and that the media also lacked political analysts capable of assessing economic developments.

Gotsiridze said that in the past some economists had been employed in the non-governmental sector, which he described as a sign of progressiveness and a source of financial independence, enabling them to engage with the media. He argued that this sphere had now been “virtually destroyed”.

He expressed respect for all economists and non-economists who contribute to raising public awareness, including through television and other media platforms.

“I will end where I began: economists, step out of your comfort zone,” Gotsiridze said.