FM: Georgian opposition engaged in “battle against country”, externally controlled

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Thursday responded to the recent European Parliament resolution regarding Georgia, which urges opposition parties to participate in the 2025 local elections, emphasising that if democracy was to be tested and political pluralism valued, the presence of an opposition was essential.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili described the European Parliament's message to the opposition as “somewhat ambiguous but clearly a call” to engage in the electoral process.

“I don't know what else to call this - it's complete agony. They [the domestic opposition] have been entirely drained of any political resources. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the same forces inside or outside the country - it’s the same operation being carried out in Georgia. When necessary, they will decide to participate in the elections, and if they deem it more beneficial, they won’t. Then they will call for a boycott... but even that is done poorly, and ultimately, they are the ones losing and depleting their own resources”, the FM said.

“They cannot decide whether they recognise the Government or not. They’ve now declared that the upcoming local elections are another “test of democracy”. But if it’s a test of democracy and if pluralism is required, then the opposition must also be present. This was clearly a call - though somewhat ambiguous - for them to engage in the process”, she continued.

Botchorishvili concluded by emphasising the sad reality that our country found itself in a situation where the opposition was fully engaged in fighting against the country and was entirely controlled by external actors.

“At this point, it doesn’t even matter whether it’s a foreign or Georgian participant in the elections - these forces are so intertwined”, she said.

The European Parliament on Thursday released its annual report on Georgia, which includes commentary on the upcoming 2025 local self-government elections.

The MEPs consider the upcoming vote another test of Georgia’s democratic resilience and political pluralism and call on opposition parties to seize the opportunity.