Opinion: Democratic debates are not just TV show built around single issue
Opinion on political debates in Georgia
Political analyst Dimitri Tskitishvili has responded to a statement by Irakli Kobakhidze, the prime minister from Georgian Dream, on the importance of political debates.
He says that democratic debates are not simply a television show built around a single issue. In his view, debates can take place even when the sides do not meet in the same physical space, as is the case in Georgia today.
On 22 January 2026, Irakli Kobakhidze spoke about the importance of public discussion and the need to restore a culture of political debate in Georgia. In a post on social media, Kobakhidze said citizens must be able to hear the positions of all political forces seeking power in public. He added that this would allow voters to make choices based on informed analysis.
Dimitri Tskitishvili said: “Democratic debates are not just a television show organised around a single issue.
Debates can take place even when the sides do not meet in the same space, as happens in Georgia today. Everyone speaks on their own platform, and virtual debates unfold on all major issues.
Does this create a democratic political climate in the country? Absolutely not.
When the government closes the media space it controls to the opposition, when it avoids critical media, when it demonises opponents through false propaganda, when it fines or jails people for expressing alternative political views, and when it captures all democratic institutions, calls for debates serve only one purpose.
Initiating debates under such conditions attempts to imitate a pluralistic democracy. It does nothing more. It is deception.”
“Genuinely democratic debates cannot return simply because some people have grown tired of monologues and now want to watch political sitcoms.
If Georgian Dream truly wants to restore a culture of democratic political debate, several minimum conditions must be met:
- Debates must become an integral part of the political process.
- The ruling authorities must not hand-pick debate participants.
- Debates must focus on critical engagement with issues and arguments.
- The political process must be inclusive.
Above all, the political climate in the country must be normalised.
Otherwise, this will amount to a simulation. In that case, even the debates we have today — including virtual ones — are better than this.”
Opinion on political debates in Georgia
