Salome Zourabichvili: Civil society is being destroyed through repressive laws, independent media silenced by censorship, and opposition parties threatened with bans - this is not governance, it is the usurpation of power - we will not surrender!

"The European integration of our country has been halted by those in power, contrary to our own Constitution and the will of the Georgian people. Our message is clear and crisp: we will not surrender! Georgia belongs to the people!" stated the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, at the Timișoara Forum "European Values" in Romania.

According to her, civil society is being destroyed through repressive laws, independent media are silenced by censorship, and opposition parties are threatened with bans. Zourabichvili stated that this is not governing the country, but the usurpation of power.

Furthermore, the former president noted that "we must unite in solidarity and act in a coordinated manner against disinformation and cyberattacks before the situation worsens."

"Our choice has its price: students, journalists, and ordinary citizens are confronting violence, detention, and daily repression. Our message is clear and crisp: we will not surrender! Georgia belongs to the people!

Civil society is being destroyed through repressive laws, independent media are silenced by censorship, and opposition parties are threatened with bans. This is not governing the country, it is the usurpation of power.

The European integration of our country has been halted by those in power, contrary to our own Constitution and the will of the Georgian people. For the past 30 years, through street protests, elections, and public opinion polls, the Georgian people have been saying that we want Europe, Europe, and only Europe!

Even today, we see that peaceful persistence, citizen participation, and setting aside party differences can bring about change. When we do not lose faith in our own strength, we also have the power to bring change!

Democracy does not endure merely by virtue of its setup — it endures because we, as individuals, choose to defend it every single day.

Russia is conducting a continuous hybrid campaign against Georgia, and we serve as a test case for it. The exact same struggle is taking place against European states and institutions as well.

We see cyberattacks, sabotage, disinformation, election interference, economic pressure, and the use of corruption and oligarchs. The target is no longer just territory: the target is our trust in elections, in institutions, and in one another.

They are imposing an upside-down narrative on us: as if Europe is infringing upon our sovereignty, as if the West is responsible for the war, and as if only Russia desires peace. By doing so, they are pushing us not to see the true source of threat, to stop defending ourselves, and to resign ourselves to it.

We cannot separate democracy, sovereignty, and security from one another. Europe is safer when its neighbors are able to freely choose their own future.

The goal of Russian narratives is to prevent us from seeing the true source of threat, so that we cease defending ourselves and give up. Our response, however, must be the defense of democratic choice: to support and ensure the safety of those who are detained for defending fundamental freedoms; to demand accountability everywhere and to remain loyal to the people.

We must unite in solidarity and act in a coordinated manner against disinformation and cyberattacks before the situation worsens," noted Zourabichvili, whose statement was released by her press office.