"Georgian Dream" is precisely following the playbook we saw in other countries where authoritarianism took hold," said Tengiz Pkhaladze, associate professor at GIPA and senior researcher at the Brussels European Centre for International Political Economy, during an appearance on the TV program "Day's Newsroom" on Palitra News.

According to him, the current test is "whether society is loyal to democratic values and how loyal we are to Georgian statehood."

"We are truly in an unprecedented crisis. We’ve never had such an existential crisis. Today, we are discussing issues I honestly never thought we would return to after 30 years of independence—issues concerning fundamental human rights, democracy, etc. In reality, the future, whether it is saved or not, depends on how consolidated society will be. The current test is whether society is loyal to democratic values and how loyal we are to Georgian statehood."

"If we declare the West, liberal democracy, and call all of this the 'deep state,' the 'global war' party, Freemasons, Illuminati, extraterrestrials, etc., then we are distancing ourselves from this world and forming closer relationships with states belonging to another block. These could be: Iran, Russia, and so on."

"We have regressed so much, and so many things have passed us by, while everything around us is so dynamic. There is now an interest, and if it stops (for example, the EU enlargement process), it becomes impossible to return there. This process of decline continues, and right now, we are going backward every day, practically. It will take very serious and significant effort for us to return to the point where we were," said Pkhaladze.

Moreover, according to Pkhaladze, "Georgian Dream" is doing everything to ensure that "the worst sanctions come against them."

"The Trump administration could easily review [relations], and I don't think this review will be in favor of 'Georgian Dream.' Because the Trump administration is even harsher than the Biden administration was, and I will say less diplomatic. You can see the steps they are taking, the same with Panama, Israel, and other matters," Pkhaladze pointed out.