Georgian PM says processes following Trump’s election have exposed Europe’s challenges

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said that recent global political developments have revealed many issues that the Georgian Government has been highlighting for years, noting that the continuation of these processes is difficult to predict.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze noted that the collective West had previously been portrayed as a flawless and problem-free space, whereas recent processes brought to the surface all the challenges the Georgian Government had been highlighting in recent years.

“Interesting processes are unfolding, and naturally, their further development is not easy to predict; however, recent developments have revealed many issues, including matters the [Georgian] authorities had been discussing for years”, he said.

The PM highlighted that there was no ideal political space, stressing that politics is generally a complex field, with many flawed processes occurring in every political environment, and naturally, this also applies to the Western space.

“As for how events will develop further, we will see. For us, the most important thing is to protect our national interests. We are particularly concerned about Europe, as we consider ourselves a natural part of the European space and see that Europe and the European Union are going through very difficult processes. First of all, this is related to economic stagnation, which Europe has been experiencing since 2008. In 2008, the EU’s share of the global economy stood at 30%, and by the end of 2024 it had declined to 17.5%. The 2025 data will be published soon, and this share is likely to decrease to around 17%. This demonstrates the serious trends present in Europe”, Kobakhidze pointed out.

“The same applies to identity-related issues on the European continent, as well as problems related to the rule of law, human rights, and democracy. There has been a serious decline in these areas as well. These issues were brought to the surface by the processes that unfolded recently in the United States following the election of President Trump”, the Prime Minister continued.

He concluded by emphasising that Georgia is a small country and must closely monitor these processes while continuing to make every effort to protect its national interests.