How Georgia’s ruling party bet on Trump’s return and what it led to
Protests in Georgia "under any circumstances" would not last until Donald Trump’s inauguration on 20 January – Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made this bold claim in early December.
At the very least, it is clear that this prediction has failed.
Not only have the protests continued, but they have grown larger, more popular, and most importantly, more creative.
Meanwhile, the European Union saw its first country, Estonia, publicly declare that it does not recognise the current Georgian government as legitimate.
Read more about the "dead end" Georgia's authorities faced in the article by Amiran Khevtsuriani, founder of the Georgian-Ukrainian Center, and Yurii Panchenko, European Pravda's editor – Georgia stands firm: why Trump’s return didn’t help the pro-Russian government suppress protests.
The strategy of the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili is quite straightforward.
Ignore criticism both domestically and internationally, gradually tighten the screws within the country, and wait for the West to tire of confrontation and lose faith in a bloodless change of power, at which point they would offer minor concessions in exchange for recognition of the established status quo.
During the Christmas holidays, there were large-scale purges in ministries and other state institutions. The disloyalty of a significant number of mid-level officials turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for the authorities, prompting Georgian Dream to retaliate.
But as the holidays passed, the intensity of protests did not wane. In response, the government resorted to its now-standard approach: brutal police crackdowns.
Despite this, public determination to resist remains unwavering.
On 15 January, Georgia saw its first major strike in years. Meanwhile, large-scale student protests continued, involving seven leading universities in the country.
The dead end Georgian Dream finds itself in is most advantageous to Russia, which has openly invited Georgia to join the "3+3" format.
"Our initial contacts have already taken place. While our Georgian neighbours have not yet taken their seat at the table, the seat remains available for them as we discuss regional issues," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated.
Georgian Dream has not commented on Lavrov’s cynical remark.
The United States completed another transfer of power, and Donald Trump assumed the presidency.
In recent months, Georgian Dream had pinned its hopes on Trump’s presidency, his victory over the "Deep State," and the subsequent reset of US-Georgia relations.
Georgian Dream’s propagandists and their affiliated TV channels assured their electorate that everything would fall into place after January 20.
However, reality proved quite different for Georgian Dream.
Instead of Georgian Dream leaders attending the inauguration, it was President Salome Zourabichvili who appeared in Washington. She was invited by influential Republican Congressman and Chair of the US Helsinki Commission Joe Wilson, who has recently become a significant "American nightmare" for Georgian Dream’s leadership.
Joe Wilson has been instrumental in pushing sanctions against Georgian Dream leaders. Moreover, he appears determined to continue applying pressure, promising even more unpleasant surprises for Georgian Dream.
Meanwhile, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, has begun a last-ditch effort to save his assets in the West.
This signals that both Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream will fight to the bitter end. The battle promises to be tough, protracted, and uncompromising.