Georgia holds parliamentary elections on Saturday, a pivotal moment as the nation strives to deepen its ties with the West under the watchful eye of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The stakes are high for the small Caucasus nation, caught between Russia’s influence since its 1991 independence and its pursuit of EU membership.
“It is within Russia’s interest to ensure Georgia’s alienation from its allies and halting of the EU integration process,” Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Digital.
Russia sees these elections as an opportunity to keep Georgia within its sphere of influence. A successful free and fair election, restoring relations with the EU, would be a setback for Russia, according to Seskuria.
A bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Jim Risch, introduced legislation to hold Georgian officials accountable for corruption, human rights abuses, and efforts to promote foreign influence laws.
“The United States stands with the Georgian people and their pursuit of a Euro-Atlantic future. The Georgian government’s recent efforts to align with Russia reject the desires of Georgians and pose a significant threat,” the senators stated in a press release.
Many experts view these elections as one of the most consequential since Georgia gained independence, with Putin seeking to exert influence for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“What we see right now is that the Georgian government has made this election as a choice between war and peace. They have tried to say that casting a vote for the opposition would be casting a vote for the war with Russia,” Ani Chkhikvadze, a journalist with Voice of America based in Tbilisi, told Digital.
Ivana Stradner, an expert on Russian disinformation with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Digital that Putin is waging an ideological war against the West.
“He is trying to reshape the world order and in order to accomplish his goals he does not need to send tanks and jets in the West. He is using proxies, such as the Georgian Dream Party, to spoil Georgia’s EU path and challenge the West,” Stradner said.
Digital also spoke with opposition politician and former secretary of the national security council, Giga Bokeria of Georgia’s Federalist Party. Bokeria said that Russia’s strategic interest is to keep the current Georgian Dream government led by the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili in power.
“Ivanishvili’s government has embraced the Russian propaganda line that the U.S. is an ‘imperialist power’ and has instigated the war in Ukraine.”
Bokeria further alleged that Ivanishvili facilitated the infiltration of Georgia’s political system, economy and security structures by those sympathetic to Russia.
Russia aims to leverage these close contacts to influence Georgian politics and society. Statements from Russian security services about Georgia align with narratives promoted by Georgian Dream politicians. These entities praise the Georgian government and accuse the West and Europe of dragging Georgia into war with Ukraine.
While the Georgian Dream Party seeks closer ties with Russia, ordinary Georgians remain firmly committed to the EU.
Georgians strongly desire EU membership, with polls indicating up to 83% support. The Georgian Dream Party stalled Georgia’s EU accession efforts after it became a candidate member in 2023. The EU subsequently suspended Georgia’s process following a controversial that required citizens, non-governmental organizations, media outlets, and other civil society organizations receiving over 20% foreign funding to register as foreign agents with the Justice Ministry.
A Georgian Dream victory could be disastrous for its EU prospects. FDD’s Stradner suggests a Georgian Dream victory would be a victory for Putin.
Civic IDEA, a pro-Western nonprofit in Georgia, released a report highlighting the Georgian Dream party’s reliance on Russian money, including funds from individuals connected to sanctioned businesses. The report notes that most of the party’s major donors are backed by Russian funds and individuals aligned with the Kremlin.
Civic IDEA also reveals that these individuals not only have socio-political ties with Russia but some are listed as “international sponsors of war.”