True sovereignty rests on economic, political, and cultural independence, People’s Power MP

Zurab Kadagidze, a member of the political group People’s Power, on Tuesday claimed that as Georgia stood at a decisive stage in its development, it was vital to clearly define the principles that form the foundation of genuine state sovereignty.

According to Kadagidze, sovereignty was not determined solely by geographical borders but consists of three core components - economic independence, political self-governance, and educational-cultural autonomy.

“Defending sovereignty does not mean entering into conflict with foreign partners - it means establishing partnerships based on equality,” he said.

Kadagidze argued that in recent years, those three pillars of sovereignty have come under targeted external pressure. He claimed that Brussels began exerting particular pressure on Georgia three years ago after the government declined a €75 million loan, opting instead to allocate its own funds domestically.

“They reminded us that such loans come with certain obligations - obligations that, as it turned out, involved direct or indirect interference in our judicial system,” he noted.

Kadagidze criticized what he described as attempts at “political occupation” through externally imposed judicial reforms, including so-called vetting procedures, suggesting that foreign diplomats and bureaucrats were being positioned to make decisions in place of Georgian authorities.

He also referred to recent criticism of the government’s announced education reform, calling it part of a “targeted campaign” against Georgia’s cultural and educational autonomy.

“The neoliberal madness that has been imposed on our education system for years must be dismantled,” Kadagidze said. “If we agree that real sovereignty is built upon these three pillars - economic, political, and cultural independence - then we must protect and preserve them.”