Georgia’s economic success driven by sound policies, strategic vision, says Georgian Parliament Speaker

Georgia is currently the leader in economic growth across both the European and Eurasian continents, thanks to its long-term development strategies and sound institutional and economic policies, said on Monday Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

Papuashvili made the remarks while addressing journalists regarding a study conducted by the Chandler Institute, which ranked the Georgian Government among the top three in Europe for long-term vision, alongside Switzerland and Luxembourg.

He contrasted Georgia’s performance with countries that followed Brussels’ lead on sanctions, warning that blindly aligning with external pressures could have led to a severe economic downturn.

“Had we simply followed Brussels and joined waves of bilateral sanctions, Georgia would not have seen economic growth - in fact, we could have faced a drop of over 10 percent, almost a 1990s-style collapse. This escalation would have carried direct economic and military risks, including the potential for open confrontation with Russia. Our results show the benefit of trusting our own long-term vision”, the Speaker said.

Papuashvili further criticised governments that prioritised foreign bureaucrats’ or politicians’ interests over their own citizens, noting Moldova’s stagnating growth despite promised foreign support.

“Those who followed Brussels instead of their people now face the consequences. Meanwhile, Georgia faces challenges yet achieves the best results. The takeaway: a country and its Government must trust their own people, not outsiders”, he added.

The Chandler Institute has published its long-term vision rankings as part of its 2025 Good Governance Report.

The Government of Georgia received a high rating, ranking 16th globally among the world’s top twenty countries for long-term vision and placing in the top three in Europe.