Giga Bokeria: Without changing this government with a pro-Western, i.e. pro-Georgian government, "nothing can save us, not even the candidate status”
According to the Chairman of European Georgia, Giga Bokeria, the current discussion on candidate status within the opposition is harmful to the interests of Georgia, "because it is a gift for the propaganda of Ivanishvili's regime of Putinist spirit".
According to him, the position of European Georgia is that without replacing this government with a pro-Western, i.e. pro-Georgian government, "nothing can save us, not even the candidate status".
"This discussion of the opposition, in my opinion, is harmful to the interests of our country, because it is a gift for the propaganda of Ivanishvili's regime of Putinist spirit. The position of European Georgia has been very clear from the beginning, unlike most of the opposition.
It is the choice and position of the majority of our country that we are part of Western civilization. Our task is to take advantage of the historic opportunity that is opening up. Also, the entire opposition says that this government is not fulfilling this task. Ivanishvili's regime has only one task - to maintain Ivanishvili's power at any cost, even at the cost of betraying the country's interests. Joining NATO, getting closer to the European Union, cooperation with the US needs a government that has this task. Today, we don't have such a government," said Bokeria.
According to him, the candidate status is only an important tool, and our task should be not the status, but the membership of the European Union.
"Candidate status is an important tool, but only a tool. The task is membership, not candidacy. The use of this tool requires a government that has the task to do so. Do we have a government that will use this tool for the historic task of returning Georgia to the West? We don't have it! We should not have found ourselves in the trap of this false dilemma. Unfortunately, a significant part of the media, opposition and society is in this trap, as a result of the propaganda that Ivanishvili's regime conducted against us. This was expected.
The position of European Georgia is that we should be clear - without replacing this regime with a pro-Western, i.e. pro-Georgian government, nothing can save us, not even the candidate status," said Bokeria.
According to him, if Georgia does not get the candidate status, it is not tragic, because the government will change during the 2024 elections, and then Georgia will get the candidate status.
"Society should not think that if we get the status, the change of Ivanishvili's regime will no longer be necessary. If we do not get the candidate status, they should know that it is not tragic, if we change the government during the next elections, we will get the candidate status and start the accession process. We will also get closer to the process of joining NATO.
The argument that even under the Putinist regime the candidate status will protect is completely absurd. Candidate status is not NATO membership. In general, even in the case of NATO membership, only membership cannot save a country if it doesn't have a government that wants to protect the country, but it automatically helps a country against dangers. The candidacy of the European Union cannot be like that. That's why whoever tells us this argument is either lying to himself or to society," Bokeria said.
