“Today a different time has come — society demands that the Platform of Resistance expands and does not remain a monopoly of political parties that so far have not demonstrated that they alone can manage the situation. The platform must grow, and we are working on this. New groups may be created,” — Georgia’s 5th President Salome Zurabishvili said during a meeting with the legal team formed to provide free legal assistance to those detained at the December 2024 protests and with the family members of prisoners.

According to Zurabishvili, international partners consistently ask during meetings: “Where is your political alternative?” She emphasized the need to demonstrate that, “when this government collapses, we will be able to take the country in our hands and maintain stability.”

Zurabishvili also spoke about the importance of unity.

“They tell me to bring issues together — including political topics and other groups — because they want to have the feeling that Georgia speaks with one voice, which has not been achieved so far. If we admit we have problems, we must know what they are.”

She said that since the beginning of her work in Georgia she has been focused on creating unity:

“Unity for me is not one-party rule or some artificial merging of parties. If we want democracy tomorrow, we want diversity, and we want everyone to maintain their identity. But when you are fighting authoritarianism inside and Russia outside — or Russia inside, I don’t even know anymore — there is no room for saying ‘my identity, my thing.’ We must fight this together.”

Zurabishvili recalled that her presidential mandate began with a message of national accord, and she believes this moment will return:

“When we come out of this nightmare and this tragedy, we will need national accord again to rebuild the country. Then came the Charter — the Charter is still in force. We will see if something needs to be adjusted with time, but its spirit remains unchanged. No one has left the Charter, and no one has said they no longer support it. I don’t know of any other document that has gathered so much agreement among different political forces.”

“Then there was the Platform of Resistance — where only political parties were represented — and we saw what happened, including how even a simple agreement on what the position should be in the local elections turned out not to be so simple. But the platform itself still exists as a Platform of Resistance. I have never said that the platform is closed. But today is a different time — society demands that it expands and not remain a monopoly of political parties that have not proven they alone can manage the situation. There are now different points of emphasis in society, and there is public protest.”

Zurabishvili stressed that the platform must include broader circles of society:

“Prisoners and their families, different groups who may not be activists standing on the streets daily but who appear as individuals and groups — like the lawyers’ group, and others. The platform should expand in this direction, and we are working on it. Some new groups may be formed. Everything is difficult in this country, but we will achieve this too, because this is the demand of society and of the international community.”

She added that without demonstrating a political alternative, neither the public nor Georgia’s international partners can fully support the protest:

“There is not a single visit abroad or interview where they don’t ask me: Where is your political alternative? And unless we show that there is a political alternative — not limited to political parties, some of whom are unfortunately in prison today and others without resources — unless we show that when this government collapses, we can lead the country and preserve stability, neither the public nor our partners will fully support the protest. They naturally look at the country and think: ‘We know who is in power and what they are — but if not them, who will it be and what will happen?’”