"It feels like 1921, and everything is repeating" – Zourabichvili addresses European Parliament
Zourabichvili addresses European Parliament
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili delivered a speech at the European Parliament, discussing protests in Georgia and stating that “this is a decisive time” for the country.
“There are days and moments when it feels like we are in 1921 and everything is happening again,” Zourabichvili said, referring to the Sovietization of Georgia.
What Else Did Salome Zourabichvili Say?
“Existential questions”
“In Georgia, there have never been protests against social conditions, and there are reasons for that, as the situation in this regard is, at best, unsatisfactory. However, the only time people take to the streets en masse is when they feel that existential questions are at stake.
That is exactly what we are dealing with now. This protest movement is very peaceful; it is a movement of civil disobedience, and its participants are demanding just two things: Give me back my voice because the elections were stolen. Give me back my European future, which is expressed in the demand for new elections.”
“We are waiting for action from Brussels and Washington”
“The people of Georgia are waiting for measures from Brussels and Washington, and I hope we won’t have to wait for the crisis to deepen before Europe starts to act. And how should Europe act? First and foremost, by declaring its political support.
We need constant political attention at the highest level because, above all, the people of Georgia must know that they are not alone and that you support us.”
“After Russia has been defeated everywhere, should it win in Georgia?
“Georgia is, has been, and I am certain, will remain the main stronghold of the West and Europe in a region that Russia is trying to occupy.
Should Russia win in Georgia after its defeat in Syria?
Should Russia win in Georgia after its failure to establish dominance in Ukraine?
After Russia lost in Moldova, should it win in Georgia?
And after Russia lost in Romania and, hopefully, will lose again, should it win in Georgia?
These questions are for you because what Russia is trying to do to us now is a less costly version of intervention, using its allies within the country, our own democratic tools, elections, and imposing its own rule.”
“Everything is controlled by one party and one person”
“After the [parliamentary] elections, we see an intensified and accelerated shift toward Russia.
The constitution clearly states that all Georgian institutions must do everything to facilitate the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. Yet much of this constitution was developed by the same prime minister who violated it by announcing a temporary halt to negotiations on Georgia’s EU membership.
In reality, they halted the path to a European future without any real mandate or right to do so. In Georgia, everything is controlled by one party and one person. What remains outside this control? Opposition media, most of which are in a severe financial crisis, a situation also provoked by the authorities. The same threat looms over NGOs due to the ‘foreign agents’ law passed by Georgian Dream.”
“Russian Path”
“There are no two parts of Georgia. We may be heading toward civil confrontation. But there are no two sides. On one side is the Georgian people, and on the other is the repressive apparatus of power.
I want to say that Georgia’s ruling party has taken a clearly defined course toward Russia. They have embarked on the Russian path while presenting themselves as though they want to move toward Europe. Why? Because even their supporters choose the European path—80% of Georgia’s population, all public opinion polls, and elections since independence show these numbers. If the leaders of Georgian Dream want to preserve any part of their dream, they are trying, at least partially, to maintain this hope.
This path effectively began before the elections, although perhaps many did not notice it, and I certainly didn’t notice clearly. The Russian path of Georgian Dream began on June 29, 2019, with the incident involving Gavrilov, who sat in the speaker’s chair in the Georgian parliament. It was a very strange incident. At the time, COVID-19 was raging, and the incident was forgotten.”
Zourabichvili addresses European Parliament
