Russia is the biggest threat for 77 percent of Georgian citizens. IRI survey

Russia a threat for majority of Georgian citizens

The International Republican Institute (IRI) has published the results of a new survey in which, when asked which country Georgian citizens consider the biggest political threat, 77 percent of respondents said Russia, while 12 percent said Turkey and nine percent said the United States.

Also, 37 percent of the Georgian population named unemployment as the country’s main problem.

The survey was conducted between September 14 and October 14, 2023 by personal interview with respondents. 1,200 eligible Georgian citizens over the age of 18 were surveyed, a number that is representative of the general population in terms of age, gender, region and size of locality. The response rate was 73% with a margin of error of +/-2.5%.

Georgia's main problems: unemployment, price growth, poverty. Edison Research

80% of the population intends to participate in the 2024 parliamentary elections

“The biggest political threat to Georgia is Russia”

According to the IRI survey, six percent of respondents considered the biggest political threat to Georgia to be Iran, four percent China, four percent Armenia, four percent Azerbaijan and three percent Ukraine.

According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents do not support free visa-free entry of Russian citizens to Georgia, their registration of businesses and purchase of real estate.

According to the survey:

• 18% support free visa-free entry of Russian citizens to Georgia;
• 7% support registration of business by Russian citizens;
• 7% support the purchase of real estate by Russian citizens;
• 6% refuse to answer/ do not know the answer.

86 percent support Georgia’s accession to the European Union

According to a public opinion poll by the International Republican Institute, a total of 86 percent of the surveyed population supports Georgia’s accession to the European Union. Nine percent are against, five percent do not know or refuse to answer.

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According to an IRI survey, 54 percent of the population believe that the country is developing in the wrong direction.

To the question, “Do you think the country is developing in the right or wrong direction?”, the answers were divided as follows:

• In the wrong direction – 54%;
• in the right direction – 39%;
• don’t know/refuse to answer – 7%.

In addition, respondents could choose as the first and second options what they consider to be the most important problem in the country today. The answers were distributed as follows:

• 55% total – economy/unemployment;
• only 39% – economy/cost of living, high prices;
• only 16% – economy/other;
• only 13% – poverty;
• only 8% – education.

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• Approximately 38% of people with university degrees are unemployed in Georgia

Political ratings

According to a public opinion poll, if parliamentary elections were held next Saturday, 25 percent of respondents would vote for the currently ruling Georgian Dream party and 13 percent would vote for the opposition National Movement. As for the other parties, the answers were distributed as follows:

• Giorgi Gakharia – “For Georgia” – 4%;
• “Agmashenebeli Strategy” – 3%;
• “Lelo” – 2%;
• “Girchi” – 3%;
• “Girchi – more freedom” – 2%.
• “Power of the People” – 1%.

Six percent of respondents say they will not participate in the elections, 18 percent do not know the answer to the question, and five percent refuse to answer.

When asked, “Which party would you not vote for under any circumstances?”, 40 percent said National Movement, 29 percent named Georgian Dream, 18 percent named Girchi – More Freedom, 16 percent named Girchi, and 13 percent named European Georgia.

What is wrong with the Georgian opposition?

The largest opposition party, the National Movement, is trying to re-legitimize its leaders through early intra-party elections, while other, smaller parties can neither act in concert nor independently form an agenda

The population of Georgia evaluates the Georgian army most positively

When asked how respondents feel about state and other institutions, 77 percent evaluated the Georgian army positively. 71 percent expressed a positive attitude towards the Orthodox patriarch, and 67 percent towards the police.

Trust in media

According to the survey, when asked which TV news and political information respondents trust most, 26 percent of respondents named Imedi, 12 percent named Mtavari Archi, and nine percent named Rustavi 2 and TV Pirveli. 26 percent of the population do not trust any Georgian TV channel, and four percent either did not have an answer to the question or refrained from answering it.

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