The streets are burning in Georgia. The government suspended European integration, although Georgia’s Constitution includes EU integration as a goal. Citizens went out to protest. The Prime Minister says he will not allow a revolution.
A third night of protests against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the EU left 44 people in hospital today.
Saturday night in Tbilisi witnessed stone-throwing protesters who ignited fireworks while also burning an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the elusive billionaire who amassed his wealth in Russia and is the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, right in front of the legislative building.
Russia sees Georgia as part of its world. The powerful Orthodox Church is adding to this goal.
Until last week, Georgia was on the so-called “EU path.” Now, it seems to be turning 180 Degrees away from Europe.
The Georgian UN-Tourism (UNWTO) Secretary-General, with the help of the Georgian Prime Minister, campaigned in 2017 and 2021 based on his country’s integration as a future European State.
Georgia’s prime minister went to FITUR in 2017 to campaign for his candidate Zurab, promising EU integration.
In 2021, two former UNWTO chiefs appealed to Zurab for decency in an advocacy campaign by the World Tourism Network.
The famous PM dinner in Madrid during COVID, when the only candidate campaigning against Zurab, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalif from Bahhran, was not invited, sealed his re-election for his current second term during COVID.
Georgia became the partner country for ITB Berlin 2023, and the Prime Minister assured the tourism world that Georgia’s commitment to European Integration is rock solid. Dignitaries attending from Germany and many EU countries applauded. ITB also opened the ambition for the UNWTO Secretary-General to trick his automatic approval for a third term, bypassing an intended limit of two terms.
The Georgia National Tourism Administration reported that from January to September 2023, 328,909 travelers from EU member states (including the United Kingdom) visited Georgia, making up 6% of the total travelers. It’s worth mentioning that the number of international travelers from EU countries is 54.3% higher than in 2022 and 14.7% lower than in January to September 2019.
According to the National Statistics Service, in the second quarter of 2023, EU countries made $6,826,642,500 of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia, which is 28.6% of the total FDI ($23,889,553,200).
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With European help, Georgia’s tourism infrastructure kept expanding, and its citizens fully heartedly supported Georgia’s goal of becoming a full member of the European Union.
The Georgian case is fascinating because it reveals the “strong support of Georgia citizens for EU integration.”
According to a survey conducted by NDI last year, as many as 79 percent of Georgian citizens wanted to join the EU. NDI published the results of the survey on December 11, 2023, under a triumphant headline full of European optimism:
“Georgia’s citizens remain committed to EU membership, a nation united in a dream and sharing challenges.”
Therefore, the question is: Why did the citizens of Georgia, if 79 percent favored EU integration, vote for pro-Russian supporters in this year’s elections, which they knew would stop those integrations?
To simplify and cut a long story short, according to the rule, someone who cannot explain something in two sentences does not even understand what he would like to explain to you: Georgian citizens support European money but not European values.
Therefore, they would pay European wages, and if they could go to the West without a passport to work there,
They would work in bars and restaurants in Germany or France and send part of their earned money home.
For the sake of a higher salary, they are ready to call on human rights and democracy where they work – but they have nothing to say about autocracy and terror against minorities in their homeland.
It would never occur to most to get married to people of other religions, cultures, and countries – except for obtaining paper, such as passports and retirement.
It doesn’t occur to most to hang out with people from the LGBTQ community. They would never go to a gay wedding.
Therefore, Georgian citizens understand the question, “Do you want to join the EU?” as “Do you want more money?” The answer is, of course, yes.
