Poll: Majority of Georgians Support Demands of Ongoing Protests, Blame Ruling Party for Political Crisis

The Institute of Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) conducted a public opinion poll from January 18 to 30. The results of the poll have attracted considerable interest, coming as they do in the midst of the political crisis and the ongoing protests, now in their 75th day, demanding new elections, the release of all those detained during the protests, and a return to the EU integration path. The poll results reflect the attitudes of Georgia’s adult population since the 26 October parliamentary elections. Among other things, the results show that the majority of Georgians see the country in a political crisis and blame the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Key Findings

• A majority of respondents (up to 62%) say the country is headed in the wrong direction;
• 82.1% consider the current situation in Georgia to be a political crisis, with nearly 78% placing the primary responsibility on the ruling Georgian Dream party.
• Respondents cited high prices and unemployment as the most acute problems facing the country. Other concerns include emigration, drug abuse, poverty, unfair parliamentary elections, crime, and a general sense of insecurity.
• For 67.1%, Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on November 28 that Georgia would suspend its EU accession process until 2028 is unacceptable;
• Nearly 55% believe that Georgian Dream’s foreign policy serves the interests of Russia and/or the countries allied with Russia, such as China and Iran. Meanwhile, 30.1% say GD pursues a balanced foreign policy that doesn’t favor any particular country, and only 7% believe the party is aligned with Western Europe and the U.S. – and is committed to integration into Western institutions such as the EU and NATO.
• Almost 67% of respondents view the suspension of Georgia’s strategic partnership with the United States negatively.
• Some 86.3% of respondents support Georgia’s integration into the EU, while 74.2% support the country’s accession to NATO. However, more than half (53%) support the idea of Georgia remaining neutral and not joining any political or military alliance;
• The majority of the population (54.2%) does not find the claims of the Georgian Dream about anti-Georgian influences of the Deep State and the Global War Party convincing. About a quarter (25.3%) are undecided about the credibility of these statements.
• Nearly 60% of respondents support the ongoing protests in Georgia, with 45% identifying as active supporters.
• According to 43% of respondents, the October 26 parliamentary elections were unfair, while 16% believe that the elections were evenly balanced between fair and unfair.
• More than half (51.3%) said they voted for opposition parties, while 32% confirmed that they voted for the Georgian Dream. About 17% chose not to disclose their vote;
• For 48% of respondents, the GD government is considered illegal or illegitimate, while 39.2% view it as legal and legitimate;
• A majority support the main demands of the ongoing protests: 62% support the call for new elections, and 76.3% support the release of prisoners;
• If new parliamentary elections are held, about 80% of respondents say they would participate. Among those who are willing to vote, Georgian Dream’s support – after allocation – stands at 31.5%;
• Almost 55% of respondents disagree with the idea that the risk of war with Russia will increase if the Georgian Dream does not remain in power. About 35.5% see it as a potential risk, but only 15.3% are sure of it;
• When evaluating political figures over recent months, President Salome Zurabishvili received the most positive ratings (49%);
• Some 36% of respondents rated the activities of civil society organizations positively, while 30% rated them negatively;
• Since the October 26 elections, 38% of respondents have a negative view of the opposition parties’ performance, while 33.2% have a positive view. Georgian Dream fares worse, with 53.2% rating its performance negatively;
• 57.2% have a negative assessment of Mikheil Kavelashvili’s election as president;
• Up to 52% of respondents believe that U.S. sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili are fair, and a similar number support sanctions against Interior Ministry officials;
• TV channels and social media cited by respondents as primary sources of information for respondents;
• The most-watched TV channels include pro-government Imedi (up to 42%), along with opposition-leaning Mtavari (up to 38%), and TV Pirveli (33.4%). Facebook is the most widely used social media platform among respondents.

The poll was conducted across Georgia, with 2000 respondents interviewed face-to-face. Respondents were randomly selected from families. The survey results have a margin of error of ±2.2% at the 95% confidence level.

The ISSA is a research organization, founded in 2000. During its 25 years of work, the organization has conducted hundreds of researches in various fields.

This particular public survey was supported by the Civil Society Foundation (CSF) and the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG), the parent organization of Civil.ge.

Also Read:

• Liveblog: Resistance 2025
• 05/02/2025 – President Zurabishvili: “Political Life in Georgia Has Ended,” Urges International Pressure on GD to Call Elections
• 20/12/2024 – ODIHR Final Report Reiterates Multiple Concerns over October 26 Elections, Calls for Concrete Action
• 28/11/2024 – GD Aborts EU Accession
• 27/10/2024 – Official Results of 2024 Vote: What They Show
  
  
  

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