Vano Tsereteli, a member of “Coalition for Change,” explained the purpose of the recent legislative amendments regarding grants and political activity announced by Georgian Dream:

“Bidzina Ivanishvili wants to forbid not only protest but even the expression of any claim in Georgia. He wants the West to recognize him as an autocrat who controls every detail in Georgia,” Tsereteli said.

He added that Ivanishvili is trying to consolidate autocracy before the United States clearly expresses its interest in Georgia:

“Everything happening is very logical. Ivanishvili is gradually, step by step, trying to establish autocracy in Georgia. He wants total control over free money. First, let’s talk about why certain people were arrested in their circles. One major reason for their arrest was that they accumulated too much money, which is dangerous for Ivanishvili.

Now, his main goal is to completely restrict the movement of free money. This involves not only grants related to NGOs but also the educational and scientific sphere. Ivanishvili is driven by fear - classic examples come from North Korea, which he gradually brings to Georgia. Meetings with businessmen or observing people in the streets who do not finish protests have shown him that he cannot establish stability in Georgia, that is, an autocracy accompanied by a sense of stability. In the end, when Ivanishvili asks himself where he stands, he cannot answer, because he himself does not fully know.

The planned changes are a warning shot at democracy, but the new law introduced by him will not fully work,” Tsereteli stated.

Regarding the government’s initiative to merge TSU and Georgian Technical University, Tsereteli criticized it as well:

“What’s happening in the education system is not reform but deformation that serves isolation. The merger of TSU and Technical University effectively leads to one law faculty in Tbilisi. Although professors and students are not being reduced, as the Georgian saying goes: ‘I trust the oath, but the end surprises me!’

In the 2026 approved budget, the funds for state universities’ student financing are missing, which means student numbers will inevitably decrease. Givi Mikanadze has lied a lot. No meetings were held with anyone, and no research on the higher education system was conducted,” Tsereteli concluded.