Parliament Speaker claims “disinformation” has become “main tool for deepening polarisation, weakening institutions” in country

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday told the legislative body “disinformation” had become the “main tool for deepening polarisation in the country’s domestic politics, weakening state institutions and damaging foreign policy goals”.

In his annual report on the work of the lawmaking institution, Papuashvili said the domestic opposition had alleged a “pro-Russian bias” of the ruling Georgian Dream party “for years”, and noted the attempts were manifested in domestic political “propaganda” broadcast from “opposition-leaning televisions” and heard from “foreign actors aligned with the opposition”.

The position of the parliamentary majority was and is a policy of strategic patience, which for more than a decade has represented a policy agreed with our strategic partners [while] taking into account Georgia's grave geopolitical challenges and national interests”, he told MPs.

Papuashvili noted without NATO's nuclear umbrella or the European Union's economic solidarity system, having a “responsible foreign policy” was the “only way to save” the country in a “historical struggle with a disproportionately superior opponent”.

He also said the approach was needed to achieve the “cherished goals” of restoring the country's territorial integrity, improving the well-being of citizens and joining the “European family”.