Pro-government media in Georgia are using ethnically discriminatory rhetoric against the opposition

Еthnically discriminatory rhetoric against the opposition in Georgia

Ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26, pro-government media in Georgia are using nationalism as a tactic to embarrass the opposition.

On October 11, the propaganda channel POSTV published a video where a reporter questioned Mamuka Khazaradze, a leader of the opposition coalition “Strong Georgia,” asking why he “hides his Armenian heritage.”

“Armenians are our brotherly people, the best people. Why are you ashamed?” the reporter said, claiming to have “evidence of Khazaradze’s Armenian ancestry.“

It is worth noting that in Georgia, these methods have long been used by those seeking to gain support through nationalism and stereotypes prevalent in parts of Georgian society.

On the one hand, they avoid directly making negative statements about any ethnicity. On the other, they try to portray their opponent as someone allegedly hiding their “non-Georgian origin.”