Giorgi Rukhadze: If we come out in large numbers and are ready to defend visa liberalization at any cost, no one will cancel anything; It is our obligation not to tolerate Ivanishvili’s arrogance and not to allow him to become a dictator

“It depends on us whether visa-free travel will be revoked. If we come out in large numbers, ready to defend this achievement [visa liberalization] that rightfully belongs to us at all costs, no one will cancel anything,” said Giorgi Rukhadze, founder of the Strategic Analysis Center, on PalitraNews’s program “Polit-City.”

According to him, no matter how large the Georgian protest is, it must be transformed into a European protest so that Europeans can see that “Georgians have a chance to defeat Ivanishvili’s dictatorship.”

“The people should not wait until August 31, hoping that ‘Georgian Dream’ will do something to save visa-free travel. On the contrary, I believe ‘Georgian Dream’ will do everything to make it happen. It depends on us whether visa-free travel will be revoked. If we come out in very large numbers, ready to defend this achievement that rightfully belongs to us at all costs, no one will cancel anything. I am certain that if any European nation’s government dared to take away such a significant benefit from its people—not even something of this magnitude, but even if gasoline prices rose by 10 cents in France due to government taxes—we’ve seen what happens on the streets of Paris multiple times. If we want to be part of the family of European nations, it is also our obligation not to let Ivanishvili get away with such audacity and not to give him the opportunity to become a dictator. When such a tangible benefit is taken away from you, you must respond. This is what it means to be a European nation. No matter how large the Georgian protest is, we must transform it into a European protest so that Europeans can see that Georgians have a chance to defeat Ivanishvili’s dictatorship. If they don’t see this, everything will be canceled. You know, Belarusians are wonderful people, even more law-abiding and humane than Georgians, but they couldn’t secure or lost European benefits because they don’t defend their freedom. If Georgians fail to defend their freedom, they will lose everything that comes from the free world,” Rukhadze stated.

According to him, “Georgian Dream” has already suspended visa-free travel and what we are seeing now is an attempt to punish the rest of the citizens. “‘Georgian Dream’ has suspended visa-free travel: high-ranking officials, those with service passports, and diplomatic passport holders—their visa-free travel has been halted. What we are seeing now is an attempt to punish the rest of the citizens. It’s clear that the EU does not want to punish the Georgian people, at least not those who are fighting for democracy. However, the EU doesn’t have a contract with the Georgian people, does it? It has one with the state, and this state, in the classical sense, is no longer a state, let alone a democratic one. Georgia today is a mechanism of repression in Ivanishvili’s hands. How can visa-free travel continue for long with this type of state?” Rukhadze noted.

As Rukhadze stated, “Georgian Dream” knows very well that phrases like “a man is a man,” “a woman is a woman,” and “they’re dragging us into war” are nonsense, and they use this propaganda to maintain Ivanishvili’s power.

“They know best that ‘a man is a man,’ ‘a woman is a woman,’ and ‘they’re dragging us into war’ is nonsense. They use this propaganda to maintain Ivanishvili’s power. What could be more shameless than this?! I want to tell ‘Georgian Dream’ voters: Perhaps Kobakhidze has already been transformed into a woman?! He lived in Germany for 10 years... Look at his hair, it’s like a woman’s, and his face is excessively pale…” Rukhadze remarked.