‘The Most Popular Georgian of All times’
Mikheil Saakashvili is “the most popular Georgian of all times,” Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 TV’s primetime news program announced on September 3 during a nine-minute long summary of positive western press coverage of Georgia and its leader.
“There is much talk that the Georgian leader’s cult is being shaped by international media outlets,” the program’s anchor said. “Leading international media outlets recently started to describe Georgia not only as the most successful post-Soviet state, but also as the world’s fastest developing country.”
The slot was a round-up of at least a dozen positive stories which have been published recently in the west about Georgia. It also contained extracts from friendly interviews with Saakashvili conducted by western television stations, including Bloomberg and CNN.
Local analysts were also featured on the program. “Whether someone likes or dislikes Saakashvili’s policies, one thing is clear: since the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia has lived in the time of Saakashvili,” Davit Darchiashvili, the executive director of the Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF), said.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
