Georgian Dream Revives Controversial War vs. Peace Campaign Theme
Georgian Dream has revived a controversial and what is seen as a tone-deaf war vs. peace campaign theme ahead of the upcoming local elections, seeking to scaremonger voters by contrasting wartime destruction in Ukraine with development projects in what it portrays as a peaceful Georgia.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Georgia’s ruling party has cast itself as a guarantor of peace, while implying that Ukraine bears responsibility for failing to prevent Russian aggression.
The war vs peace theme featured prominently in last year’s disputed parliamentary campaign, with banners in the Georgian streets and metro stations juxtaposing images of war-torn Ukraine against colorful depictions of Georgia’s supposed prosperity. The messaging sparked outcry at the time from Georgian Dream’s domestic critics and drew condemnation from Kyiv.
Now the trope has returned, with the party posting a campaign clip on social media late on August 12. The video again pairs black-and-white footage of bombings and ruins in Ukraine on the left, subtitled “No to war!” – with colored shots of Georgian infrastructure projects, including parks, roads, and buildings, on the right, overlaid with the slogan “Choose peace!”.
In the most controversial segment, the war footage is contrasted with a color image of the newly renovated Vake Park in central Tbilisi. The shot shows the park’s fountain where, shortly after its ceremonial reopening in 2022, damaged electric wiring electrocuted three people, claiming the life of a teenager and injuring others, an incident that drew public outrage as a stark example of official disregard for safety.
The war-versus-peace theme has been central to Georgian Dream’s campaign for the partially boycotted October 4 municipal vote from the outset. In late July, the party picked incumbent Kakha Kaladze to seek third term as Tbilisi mayor, with his main slogan – ‘Peace to Georgia, More Good to Tbilisi’ – unveiled at the launch event. The message soon appeared on large banners flooding the capital’s streets and has been echoed in local campaigns nationwide.
Seventeen parties have registered for the partially boycotted municipal vote, less than half of the number in the previous 2021 local elections. Key names on the ballot include the ruling Georgian Dream, the Lelo-led Strong Georgia, For Georgia led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the right-libertarian Girchi, and ultraconservative and far-right forces such as the Alliance of Patriots and Conservatives for Georgia (Alt-Info).
Nine opposition parties are boycotting the elections, with the vote taking place amid ongoing repression, legislative crackdowns on opposition, jailings of political leaders, and a lack of international observation. The boycott includes key forces that ran in major opposition alliances last October, such as the United National Movement, parties in the Coalition for Change, and smaller groups that broke away from the Lelo-led alliance after the disputed election.
Also Read:
- 11/08/2025 – Georgian Dream Names 63 Mayoral Candidates for October Local Elections
- 05/08/2025 – Kavelashvili Schedules Local Elections for October 4
- 08/08/2024 – “Omi Ginda?!” – Ruling Party Campaign Dares Georgians to “Vote for War”
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