MP Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, has expressed concerns that the radical opposition may attempt to provoke new tensions on May 26, possibly aiming to create opportunities for further campaigns by capitalising on any missteps by the authorities.

In an interview with journalists, Makhashvili stated that the opposition’s primary goal appears to be to demonstrate its strength to its foreign backers.

“For some reason, they have timed their rally to coincide with May 26, when the nation celebrates Independence Day. On this day, numerous citizens take to the streets to commemorate a significant event in the nation’s history. As has often happened in the past, they may try to manipulate the situation through fake images and photoshopped content. Historically, such dates have been marked by heightened tensions.

Therefore, we expect that they will once again try to incite new centres of tension and conflict, possibly in the hope that the state will err somewhere, providing them with an opportunity to capitalise on the mistake and initiate a fresh campaign. The state has faced many such instances before, grown stronger, and learned how to manage these processes. We sincerely hope that those involved will stay within the bounds of the law,” Makhashvili said.