Opinion: 'They declared war on everyone — from EU to local NGOs'
According to political analyst David Zurabishvili, Georgia’s ruling party, led by its founder and de facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili, “is at war with everyone who does not accept its permanent rule” — from the European Union to local NGOs.
The analyst lists all those the Georgian Dream party has effectively declared war on over the past couple of years and argues that the only way out of the country’s crisis is a change of government, combined with the creation of an alternative that can unite society.
David Zurabishvili:
“If any party can be called a ‘party of war,’ it is Georgian Dream, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Kobakhidze.
War does not necessarily mean shooting. Radical confrontation that drives a country into crisis and creates a threat of destabilisation is also war. In this sense, Georgian Dream has declared war on the European Union.
Not a day goes by without senior government officials lashing out at Brussels, while lower-ranking officials and troll bots flood social media with identical posts on the same topic.
Georgian Dream relentlessly fights a so-called ‘deep state,’ whose existence is unclear, but which allegedly controls European and American media, bribed the US vice president, imposes ‘liberal fascism,’ pits Ukraine against Russia… yet cannot be stopped by anyone except Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The party is effectively at war with all its opponents, labelling everyone enemies, traitors, or criminals. Any attempt to change the government is called a coup, and criticism abroad is treated as the dissemination of information against national interests.
Georgian Dream spies on the NGO sector and independent media, even though, according to even their own falsified parliamentary election results, more than 80,000 citizens voted for the opposition. That means at least 80,000 citizens are considered enemies of the authorities.
The party has imprisoned opposition leaders and announced plans to ban almost all moderately popular political parties. What is this, if not a war on multiparty democracy and pluralism?
Georgian Dream has also declared war on citizens living abroad, effectively stripping them of the right to vote, and openly signalling that this is punishment for their opposition views.”
Georgian Dream is outraged that the BBC accused it of using chemical weapons. But is it not a fact that hundreds of people were poisoned during protests in November–December 2024, with some still showing lasting effects? Has anyone investigated this, or has anyone been held accountable? Of course not — that is how enemies are treated in a war, and Georgian Dream sees protest participants as enemies and acts against them.
In short, Georgian Dream is effectively at war with everyone who does not recognise Bidzina Ivanishvili’s permanent rule and the supremacy of his will over law and justice. As a result, the country is in a permanent crisis. Everything is unstable and unpredictable. The authorities vainly try to create the illusion that everything is normal, while only a handful of so-called “Akatsuki” roam the streets of Tbilisi — a nickname jokingly given to protesters by local media, referencing the main antagonists in the anime Naruto. But everyone knows this is a lie. Georgian Dream knows it too. They talk about peace, but in reality, they are constantly at war.
Most importantly, both Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream have crossed the line beyond which even fragile stability could be maintained with the available resources. Hardness, stubbornness, repression, reliance on brute force, and a principled refusal to compromise have turned Georgian Dream — which claims to fight for peace — into the main source of destabilisation. It survives, in effect, by waging war against anyone who does not recognise its uniqueness and authority.
There is no way out of this crisis under the Georgian Dream government. If Georgia wants peace and stability, this government must go. It is clear that a political alternative needs to be created — one that can unite society, bring peace and stability, and not fuel confrontation and mutual hatred. It will not be easy, but… do we want war?
Political analyst on Georgian Dream
