"Opposition fetishizes Georgia's EU membership" – Owner of pro-government TV channel

“Imedi” owner against Georgia’s European integration

The owner of the pro-government Georgian TV company “Imedi,” Irakli Rukhadze, called the amendment on European integration in the country’s Constitution “nonsense.” On July 14, during the TV program “Week of Hope,” he stated that only 2-3% of respondents in their survey considered Georgia’s entry into the European Union important. Additionally, according to Rukhadze, the opposition is “obsessed” with the issue of Western support.

In 2017, an amendment was made to Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution regarding “the country’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.” According to this amendment, constitutional bodies, within their powers, must take all measures to ensure Georgia’s full integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

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Irakli Rukhadze claims that many respondents expressed a desire to join the European Union, but a much smaller portion said it was “important.” In his opinion, the Georgian opposition is currently fetishizing EU membership:

“The entire country’s attention is focused on this, it has been elevated to a sacred level, turned into a dogma. As if we must do this because it is written in the Constitution. But why is it written in the Constitution? It’s nonsense. In my opinion, we should not have written such things in the Constitution, which is a permanent document.

[…] We act as if everything else, apart from the European Union, is of little importance for the future of the country. We strive for this at any cost, without trying to analyze what disadvantages and advantages EU membership will have for us.”

Opposition’s response

In response, one of the leaders of the opposition platform “Unity,” Gia Japaridze, stated that Rukhadze’s words are yet another proof that the ruling party “Georgian Dream” does not want Georgia to join the European Union. According to Japaridze, Rukhadze voiced not his own thoughts but those of “Georgian Dream” leader Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Japaridze reminds that it was “Georgian Dream” that introduced this article into the Constitution at the time.

“I thought then that it was a populist move aimed at convincing Georgian citizens of their supposed Western orientation and baiting Georgia’s international partners.

[In reality] ‘Georgian Dream’ does not want Georgia to join Euro-Atlantic structures, ‘Georgian Dream’ is doing everything to prevent Georgia from becoming part of this space, ‘Georgian Dream’ is the only obstacle standing in the way of Georgia’s entry into the European Union,” Japaridze stated.

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The Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, asserts that “Georgian Dream” (of which he is a member) is doing everything possible for European integration, and that every citizen of Georgia has the right to express their opinion:

“…the main thing is that it is done within the framework of the law. If we are building a democratic state, then we must allow all opinions to exist.

My position and the position of our team is the European future of the country. We are taking concrete steps on this path. If we achieve any significant successes together with the majority of the country’s population, it will be our accomplishment.“

“Imedi” owner against Georgia’s European integration