DISINFO: US, EU, pro-Western opposition and president trying to carry out a coup in Georgia
SUMMARY
The United States, the leadership of the European Union, the pro-Western Georgian opposition, and the current president of Georgia, who is a French citizen and an ex French foreign minister, are essentially attempting to organise a new coup, a new colour revolution in Georgia. This is because they are dissatisfied with the results of the recent parliamentary elections in the country, in which the Georgian Dream party, which advocates for a sovereign Georgia and opposes dragging Georgia into a war with Russia, achieved a substantial victory.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the "aggressive West" allegedly meddling with the domestic affairs of former Soviet republics. This claim was made in the context of Georgia's parliamentary elections which took place on Saturday 26 October 2024.
This is an unsubstantiated claim attempting to discredit protests in Georgia and justify repressive measures against its participants. While the situation in Georgia remains tense because of political differences between the Georgian Dream ruling party and opposition groups, there are no indications at an alleged attempt to organise a coup or overthrow the government in any other manner. The European Union, the United States and their allies support democratic principles, transparency in elections, and the rule of law in Georgia. They have historically encouraged Georgia’s democratic institutions and expressed support for fair and free elections, but they have never called for a forcible takeover of power.
The parliamentary elections were marked by serious irregularities and alleged large-scale fraud schemes, which led to many, including the President Salome Zourabichvili, the opposition and civil society organisations, rejecting the official results. It caused confrontation between supporters and opponents of the ruling party.
See also the Joint Statement by the High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Commission on the Georgian Parliamentary elections.
Concerning Salome Zourabichvili, she was not a French foreign minister. She was a foreign minister in Georgia during the rule of former president Mikhail Saakashvili. While Zourabichvili was born in a Georgian émigré family in France and spent most of her life in France, she renounced her French nationality when she became president in 2018.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Like always the West organised a new colour revolution, that Frenchwoman Salome Zourabichvili is a western puppet wanting to transform Georgia into a colony, and that The West is ready to seize power by force in Georgia.