Georgian power multiplies the signs of a pro-Russian orientation

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday March 16, 2021. AP - Yves Herman

Text by: Régis Genté Follow

2 mins

The war that Russia is waging in Ukraine is of great concern throughout the former Soviet space and more particularly in Georgia, a republic in the South Caucasus, which feels very close to Ukraine.

More and more observers of the country, however, believe that Georgian power is sliding towards a pro-Russian policy.

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With our correspondent in Tbilisi,

Three-quarters of the Georgian population is resolutely pro-Western, the last quarter being not pro-Russian, but cautious about Moscow.

The Georgian power, totally dependent on the oligarch

, having made his fortune in Russia, is therefore formally pursuing a policy aimed at rapprochement with the European Union and with NATO.

But in recent years, we have observed a practice by Bidzina Ivanishvili's men, such as Prime Minister Irakli Garibachvili or the leader of the ruling party Kartuli Otsneba (the "Georgian Dream"), Irakli Kobakhidzé, which consists in almost systematically undermining relations with Westerners, by making very aggressive remarks towards their representatives.

Decisions going in a demonstrative way against European demands relating to democratic governance are also taken by the Georgian authorities.

For example, by having the director of the main opposition television channel, Nika Gvaramia, sentenced in mid-May to three and a half years in prison, just before a trip to Brussels by the Prime Minister.

A judgment that the public defender's office describes as " 

".

Another example: last summer, the power had six judges appointed to the Supreme Court at the very moment when the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was in Georgia, and totally against the spirit of the principles that he and the leaders had fixed by mutual agreement.

► To read also: Ukrainian crisis: Georgian strategy against Russia and its limits

Pro-Russian tendency

Even if the government explains its positions by its concern not to irritate Russia and to defend the interests of the Georgian people, hence in particular its decision not to join in the sanctions against Russia, the news goes badly in part opinion: Georgia itself does not have access to 20% of its territory, the

being supported at arm's length by Russia.

This also explains the obstacles created at the start of the war to prevent a Ukrainian plane from landing in Tbilisi, when it came to pick up a few dozen Georgian volunteers who wanted to fight against the Russians in Ukraine.

They were finally able to get there.

An event that created a lot of tension between the Georgian and Ukrainian governments, where, again, Bidzina Ivanishvili's men gave the clear impression of looking for all the pretexts to tarnish relations with kyiv.

► Listen again to the report by our correspondent in Tbilisi, Manon Chapelain

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