The Daily Beat: 16 November
A new public opinion poll commissioned by the International Republican Institute shows overwhelming support for Georgia’s EU and NATO membership. The polls also suggest significant public support towards the ruling Georgian Dream party, pro-western foreign policy, and further dialogue with Russia. According to fresh IRI polls, most respondents think Georgia’s top problem is the economy and unemployment. Most respondents also believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The Georgian Legion reported that two of its fighters – Ramaz Petelava and Beka Lomashvili, were killed and nine others wounded during the offensive operation in the Donetsk region. The foreign ministry has not yet commented on the killing of Georgian fighters in Ukraine. The Georgian Legion is a military unit formed by mostly ethnic Georgian volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine.
The official Facebook page of the government reported that Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had a phone conversation with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. According to the government press release, two leaders discussed the recent EC recommendation to grant Georgia the EU candidate status. PM Garibashvili thanked the German Chancellor for supporting Georgia’s EU integration process and stressed the importance of German support in the future. In a phone conversation, PM Garibashvili pledged to continue reform efforts to fulfill EU recommendations.
Newly appointed US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan gave her first interview to the Georgian bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, sharing her views on Georgia’s NATO integration, Russian occupation, 2024 parliamentary elections, US-sanctioned Otar Partskhaladze, and Sino-Georgian relations. In an interview, Ambassador Dunningan congratulated Georgian citizens, political leadership, and opposition parties on the European Commission’s recommendation, highlighting its significance in the context of NATO integration.
The Venice Commission delegation concluded its visit in Georgia, where they met with President Salome Zurabishvili, PM Irakli Garibashvili, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the parliamentary majority, and the opposition representatives. Speaking at the press conference following the meetings, the Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Michael Frendo, stressed the utmost importance of achieving the broadest possible public consensus on electoral and judicial reforms. Vice-President Frendo pledged to support Georgian reforms on its European path by providing expertise and legal opinions.
The President of the Federal Council of the Austrian parliament, Claudia Arpa, visited Georgia, holding meetings with Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the lawmakers of the Georgian-Austrian Parliamentary Friendship Group, and attended the Bertha von Suttner Prize award ceremony. President Arpa also visited the occupation line at the Enguri River. According to the official press release, Georgia’s EU integration and development of bilateral economic and political cooperation were discussed during the meetings.
With 78 in favor and two against, the Parliament voted to terminate the mandate of Georgian Dream MP Davit Sergeenko. The issue of Sergeenko’s parliamentary mandate has been circulating since the summer when the Parliamentary Committee on Rules and Procedure decided to end his term due to excessive and unjustified absence. A former health minister and close ally of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Davit Sergeenko, did not participate in voting on “foreign agents law” in March, soon afterward publicly expressing his desire to resign from parliament, quit politics, and at the same time stopped attending the parliamentary sessions.
