Georgia votes on its future: Where is the country headed?

DW (English)

Between Russian pressure and European influence: Georgia is at a crossroads. How is the country faring ahead of parliamentary elections?

Transcript

00:00We are in Georgia, ahead of parliamentary elections there, in a bid to understand why

00:11is this vote seen as so crucial for the country's future.

00:15If we continue our political way like this, we are going to become a part of Russia.

00:22Many members of her generation say the current government is steering Georgia back towards

00:27Russia by exploiting fears of another war.

00:30On October 26th, peace will triumph over war.

00:35Can the opposition protect Georgia's EU aspirations?

00:41Do we want prosperity in Europe or misery and isolation?

00:47What's at stake for Georgia?

00:51Nanooka Mestvyrishvili is 18 years old.

01:05She has put US study plans on ice to join an NGO in her home country, Georgia.

01:12Today she is on the road, informing people about upcoming parliamentary elections.

01:19We are going to talk to people and tell them that this election is really important.

01:27I am a little bit afraid and that's why we need to give people information about that.

01:37And we need to make them believe what we believe.

01:43We need to live in Europe.

01:45She protested what's known as the Foreign Agent Bill, which critics say follows the

01:50Russian authoritarian example, suppressing critical voices.

01:54No to the Russian law.

01:55Yes to Europe.

01:57According to polls, more than 80% of Georgians want to be part of the EU.

02:02Critics say the government wants them to be dragged back into Russia's orbit.

02:08Today volunteers are heading to rural areas where people are much worse off and still

02:13unsure which way to vote.

02:17Nanooka believes state media deliberately misinforms the public to secure their votes

02:22and works to counter this influence.

02:24In regions there is not as much information as we have in capital.

02:33The propaganda works well and sometimes this information spreads all around the regions.

02:40We want to make sure that people in regions know the truth about what's going on in our

02:46country.

02:51What issues are most Georgians concerned about?

02:55The fear of Russian troops on their territory.

03:01In 2008 Russia and Georgia waged war against each other.

03:06The fighting lasted five days on Georgian territory.

03:09As a result, Moscow recognised the independence of breakaway republics, Abkhazia and South

03:15Ossetia, regions that have been under Russian control ever since.

03:20The ruling party Georgian Dream is widely seen as pro-Russian.

03:24The government is fuelling fears over a mysterious global war party with alleged plans to start

03:31a war in Georgia, a conspiracy theory.

03:35Although divided over many issues, the opposition is united in its commitment to continue Georgia's

03:41democratic path and join the EU.

03:45This area is known as the Zone of Fear, the border region between Georgia and South Ossetia.

03:51There is a Russian military base close by.

03:54Soldiers intimidate locals and last year a villager was shot and killed along the occupation

04:00line.

04:05Are you afraid of Russians?

04:09Yes.

04:11As if you're not scared.

04:12I hate them.

04:13I know you hate them, but you're scared too.

04:16You don't want them to kill you.

04:19Goga and Misha were born in this refugee settlement near Gori, the biggest town close to the occupation

04:25line.

04:26The five-day war forced their parents from breakaway South Ossetia, but they consider

04:31their real home to be their parents' village, a place they've never seen.

04:37Liana also settled here after fleeing the war.

04:40Russia's military presence is a constant reminder of her tragedy.

04:44After the invasion of Ukraine, the former teacher is afraid Russia could attack Georgia

04:49again.

04:50The ruling Georgian dream is exploiting these fears by promising peace with Russia.

04:56The Georgian dream calls for better relations with Russia.

05:00Yes, they should be improved.

05:02What do you think?

05:03Does it make any sense to fight?

05:09Can such a small country fight a war?

05:16The harvest season has begun.

05:19Elsa and Tsitsina own an apple farm and keep a close eye on political developments.

05:25Even if the ruling party claims it will bring Georgia into the EU fold, the farmers don't

05:30believe those intentions are genuine.

05:38They're saying we're going to join the EU in 2030.

05:41Maybe other people believe it, but I don't.

05:46What do you think they're up to?

05:49I think they're actually moving closer to Russia.

05:52Who do you want to be with, Europe or Russia?

05:55Personally, I don't want to be with Russia.

05:58They brought us so much misery, killed so many people.

06:01In fact, the EU has officially halted Georgian accession to the EU due to the contested foreign

06:09agent law.

06:10The ruling party's campaign posters are everywhere.

06:13They're actively campaigning even in the most remote villages, promising new jobs and

06:19improved infrastructure, like this local politician from the Georgian Dream Party.

06:24Everything will be done in stages.

06:26We've already done a lot and more is coming.

06:31Do you know what it looks like here?

06:34If you want to come with me, I can show you how broken the irrigation system in our garden

06:39is.

06:46Georgia is a neutral country, a peaceful state.

06:50We're trying to ensure that there is peace in the whole world and in Georgia.

06:58Local politicians from the ruling party often present themselves as custodians who don't

07:03shy away from big league politics.

07:07Meanwhile, Nanooka has reached Zastopone.

07:10Her first stop is the local market.

07:13We're going to Bazaar.

07:16There is our target audience.

07:19There are people who don't have really great financial circumstances.

07:25So we can talk to them and make them believe that if they vote, they can change their future.

07:35The students are also handing out information about how Russia is endangering Georgia's

07:41democratic progress.

07:43Nanooka soon realizes how challenging it is to debunk some of the ruling party's narratives.

07:55Here you can read in this pamphlet what benefits we got from the EU and what Russia did to

08:00us.

08:01All right, all right.

08:02What kind of a party is this pro-European thing?

08:08I'm not campaigning for any specific parties.

08:11It's for any pro-European coalition.

08:13See, the kid is being smart, not like you.

08:18We don't want you to have to stand here behind the stall.

08:23We want you to get retirement money so you can travel.

08:27That won't happen for another 200 years.

08:39I need energy because there are so many victims of propaganda.

08:45But she does clock up a small success today.

08:48He is going to go to the election.

08:52She was in doubt.

08:54But after I told her that we need you to go to the election, she said, OK, if our young

09:01people need it, I'm going to do it.

09:03And I'm really happy.

09:06It seems that many people here have lost their faith in politics.

09:11But Nanooka keeps going.

09:12She's on the road all over the country for three weeks until election day.

09:18Nanooka says it's a race against time.

09:21He does not think that our future is in European unions.

09:26Our next stop is the regional town of Rustavi, which is hosting a campaign rally for Bidzina

09:32Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and oligarch accused by the opposition of having close

09:38ties with Russia.

09:39In 2011, he founded the Georgian Dream Party, which has been in power for the past 12 years

09:45and consolidated control over the country's key institutions.

09:49I guarantee that if you support the Georgian Dream in October, no one can drag Georgia

09:55into war.

09:59Supporters include many public servants who attend the rally in organized groups.

10:03Observers say some are pressured to vote for the ruling party.

10:07In their speeches, Georgian Dream politicians threaten to ban the liberal opposition and

10:12often attack the West.

10:14But at the same time, their party's posters twinkle with the stars of the EU flag.

10:19This is intended to reassure voters of its pro-European cause, a contradictory promise.

10:25This party will lead you to Europe?

10:26Yes, it will indeed.

10:28Even though Brussels has halted the EU integration process?

10:33No one can stop it, believe me.

10:37Back in Tbilisi, Nanooka Mstvirsvili says she's afraid Georgia may fall under Moscow's

10:43influence if the ruling party stays in power.

10:46For her, freedom and genuine peace, not one that is dictated from above, are only possible

10:52with strong ties to the democratic West.

10:55If we continue our political way like this, we are going to become a part of Russia without

11:02even war.

11:04And why our ancestors fighted so hard for our freedom?

11:11We need to ask this question to ourselves.

11:15Nanooka is concerned at levels of government corruption.

11:19She says officials care only about their own financial well-being and political survival,

11:24and not about the health of the country's democracy.

11:30I don't think that they're going to win.

11:33I don't want to give up after that.

11:35I'm thinking of the ways how can I fight.

11:40I mean, I want a better future and I'm just not going to let them take this away from

11:50me.

11:51I want a better country for me and also for everyone around me.

11:55They want a country for only themselves and it's not right.

12:02To encourage each other, the volunteers sing the EU anthem in Georgian.

12:11After the election, Nanooka will finally be going to study in the US.

12:15She hopes that the fate of her country won't be gambled away in the vote, because she wants

12:20to come back.

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