Georgian society demonstrates strong resilience against Russian propaganda, says Parliament Committee Chair

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said the Georgian public remained highly resilient to Russian propaganda, having been subjected to its pressure for the past 30 years.

In an interview with a Romanian outlet, Samkharadze noted that “Georgian society has a high level of resilience against anti-EU and anti-Western narratives when they originate from Russia”.

“However, it seems that certain actions by EU bureaucrats and politicians in recent times have undermined Georgian society’s trust in the European Union”, the Parliament official said.

He cited instances of European politicians allegedly interfering in Georgian elections by openly supporting specific parties, which he deemed unfair to Georgian voters.

Samkharadze also pointed to what he described as double standards in the evaluation of protests in Georgia versus Bulgaria, referencing the instance when protestors attacked the EU headquarters.

“There have been cases where some European politicians interfered in Georgia’s elections and took sides with particular parties, which was unfair to Georgian voters. Another example of double standards is the different assessments of protests in Georgia and Bulgaria when demonstrators attacked the EU headquarters”, Samkharadze continued.

The official further pointed out that certain interferences by European politicians in Georgia’s internal affairs had negatively affected public perceptions of the European Union.

“All these situations have damaged the European Union’s image in the eyes of Georgian citizens. However, when it comes to Russian propaganda, Georgian society remains extremely resilient, as it has been subjected to this pressure for the past 30 years”, Samkharadze concluded.