Let’s Create Mechanisms for a Better National Consensus in Georgia about the EU and Democracy.
And Let’s Do It Now
In 2013 in Tbilisi, I announced a meeting at Europe House on Freedom Square for anybody who was interested to discuss how we could set up an organization to bring Georgia closer to the European Union. At that point five years after the Russian invasion, it was clear that the Kremlin was sponsoring more and more anti-western rhetoric and it was getting some traction. But if you were just a person from Georgia or an expat living there and wanted to join an effort specifically to connect Georgia the the EU, there was no clear way to do that. There were many anti-Russian efforts, and some political efforts, but nothing that was simply pro-EU.
Seventy people showed up to the meeting. Those present decided to set up The European Alumni Association of Georgia. Anybody who supported closer relations between the EU and Georgia could join as a member but the board would be made up of people who had studied or taught in the different EU countries for at least one semester. The longer term plan was to get these European alumni to go out in villages to discuss what it was like in the EU and more similar highly decentralized efforts
I funded somebody to lead the organization for a few years, a few events where held, but it never got any external funding. This was a period when donors were turning away from Georgia largely because of the refugees in the EU itself. Meanwhile I moved to San Francisco, and it was difficult to offer encouragement and without funding it died.
Meanwhile Otsneba’s and the Kremlin’s steady and dedicated communication effort continued, orthodox family values, homophobia, the whole package. There would be spasms of angry responses for example Gavrilov’s Night, from those who support the EU and democracy, but generally marches and protests then in March 2023 and massive protests killed the Russian Law. After that success there was incredible amounts of Facebook posting about what this means, what we need to do now, etc. As far as I could see there wasn’t much other than posting on social media, at least that was ongoing. Then a year later we found out that the law was not in fact dead and Otsneba brought it back to life and passed it.
But at times like this, as we all worryingly consider what could happen this coming weekend and nervously look at Moldova, I really wish the European Alumni Association of Georgia had been around for the last ten years, connecting those who know Europe well and those who don’t. Creating space for discussion between those who know the EU well and those who have never left Georgia and only speak Georgian (or Russian, Armenian, or Azeri).
Whether Otsneba figures out some way to stay in power, or if the various coalitions manage to get a majority and can take power, one of the most important thing, that is obvious right now, is that Georgia needs better mechanisms for national dialogue about the EU and democracy. I worry that after the election the focus will be on who takes and holds power because that is so so important. But what is more important in the long term is a national consensus about the direction Georgia should take and we don’t have that right now.
Anybody who is interested in being sure that we have that mechanism for consensus, write me, and we will meet as soon as the results of the election are somewhat clear to discuss.
