Rusudan Shelia

The decision by the Georgian Dream party to suspend Georgia's EU accession process stands in stark opposition to the historical Western choice of the vast majority of Georgian citizens. This controversial move has triggered widespread unrest, with protests erupting across the country. For eight consecutive days, the police have responded to peaceful demonstrators with brutal violence, leading to growing condemnation of the current regime. Journalists, activists, and politicians are all facing severe repression. Amid this turmoil, we spoke with Michael Carpenter, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council: 

- First of all, thank you very much for the interview and the opportunity to speak with you. There is a prevailing feeling in Georgia right now that people are on the battlefield against the "Georgian Dream," physically fighting to save the future of the country. For a week now, we have witnessed the police brutally confronting peaceful rally participants and politicians. At the same time, police raids are being conducted in the offices of opposition parties. From your perspective, how do you assess the current crisis in Georgia?

- This is a critical moment in Georgia's post-independence trajectory as a sovereign state. A lot is at stake regarding Georgia's democratic institutions and its integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions. We condemn the violence against protesters, which, as you rightly noted, is brutal in its manifestation. Civil society activists, opposition leaders, students, and journalists have been targeted for no reason. There is documented evidence of journalists being targeted with violence for no reason, which is appalling. We are looking at options to hold those responsible for this violence accountable.

- If you had questions or doubts before, it is now absolutely clear what is happening in Georgia. Why don’t you impose sanctions on those organizing this brutal violence on the streets of Tbilisi?

- In response to the events in Georgia over the last few months, we have taken several actions. Not all of these are in reaction to the recent protests, which is reaction to the government’s decision to suspend its pursuit of EU accession. Even prior to that, with the passage of the foreign influence law and other measures to harass and intimidate civil society, we paused our assistance to the Government of Georgia—$95 million in assistance is currently on hold. More recently, in response to the protests, we have suspended our strategic partnership and imposed sanctions on dozens, in fact, scores, of Georgian officials from various institutions under a visa restriction policy outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act. We have taken steps and do not preclude further actions, including additional sanctions, in response to what we are witnessing.

- It is also clear to everyone that this mass brutality has one organizer: the chairman of the "Georgian Dream," Bidzina Ivanishvili.

- I’m not going to preview any sanctions announcements today, but as I mentioned earlier, in response to the appalling violence on the streets, we are looking at options to hold those responsible accountable. All options are on the table.

- Regarding the elections held on October 26, which the President of Georgia, the United States, and European states do not recognize as legitimate, how do you see a way out of this political crisis, given that the Georgian Dream does not support calls for a credible investigation into the violations?

- This is ultimately for the Georgian people to decide. President Biden has called for an inclusive dialogue with all political forces to address election irregularities. Leading up to election day, domestic and international observers, including the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, reported significant voter intimidation, coercion, and misuse of administrative resources, creating an uneven playing field. There have been various other allegations out there which we believe ought to be investigated properly. There should be an inclusive process where all Georgian political forces can address this key issue regarding Georgia's democratic trajectory together. Recently, we have seen a related but distinct phenomenon: Georgian citizens protesting against the decision to suspend the EU accession process. It is their right to express their views and assemble freely, and it is deeply concerning that violence is being used against these individuals. What we see is a series of actions moving Georgia further away from Euro-Atlantic integration and its stated goals of being a European democracy. As I mentioned earlier, there is the foreign influence law, along with an offshore law that facilitates the entry of foreign dark money into the country. There is also widespread harassment and intimidation of civic activists, significantly constricting the civic space in Georgia, which is not aligned with democratic values or norms. The country is moving in a very different direction from where it was several years ago, contrary to the preferences of the vast majority of Georgian citizens, who wish to see Georgia as a democratic sovereign country integrated into NATO and the EU.

- The "Georgian Dream" is trying to convince the Georgian people that under the newly elected president of the United States, they will not face significant problems with democratic countries and that the future White House administration will support their autocratic system. During the transitional stage of the government, have you already communicated with the new administration regarding Georgia?

- We have not yet had communications with the transition team. I expect that we will shortly. We'll discuss a range of issues and be able to brief on all topics, including Georgia. I will say that there has long been bipartisan support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and its democratic character from a variety of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. The Helsinki Commission, which is a bicameral, bipartisan commission in Congress that examines elections and democratic norms and institutions across the OSCE region (which includes Georgia), has condemned the recent violence and expressed deep concern about the country's trajectory. So, judging by that, I believe we will continue to have bipartisan support for Georgia's strong civil society, democratic norms, and opposition to actions that are clearly anti-democratic.