Our manifesto stands, and we will deliver: Georgian parliament speaker pledges stability for voters

“Georgian Dream has demonstrated over its 14 years in power that the administration operates on sound principles, making decisions based on national interests and building resilient institutions,” the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has declared.

Speaking on GPB First Channel’s current affairs programme Discussion on Topical Issues, Mr Papuashvili noted that while personnel changes may cause minor discomfort, they do not ultimately disrupt the country’s trajectory when robust institutions and clear direction are in place. He emphasised that economic growth remains high and national security is fully protected.

Papuashvili made these remarks in response to a question regarding recent personnel changes within the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), addressing whether the moves have created a sense of instability regarding national security.

“Personnel changes have occurred on numerous occasions, but nothing changes in terms of results; that is what we should observe,” Mr Papuashvili said. “Economic growth is just as high as it was, and the pace and security are just as assured as in recent years, even when compared to various previous shifts.

As for the changes themselves, several personal decisions were made, and those involved have explained their reasons. On the other hand, the Prime Minister must enjoy the full confidence of Parliament, while Parliament holds a complete mandate from the Georgian people. The government then acts on that mandate and trust. This is why resilient institutions are crucial. When institutions are stable and the system functions properly, a change in leadership adds specific nuances or, perhaps, introduces fresh perspectives into the agency. However, it still fulfils its primary objectives, particularly within the security system.

The nomination for the new head has been submitted to Parliament, and we will deliberate on it tomorrow. On behalf of the majority, he already has our trust, and we will vote tomorrow. Mr Borashvili, as the Prime Minister highlighted, is the first head of the Security Service to rise through the ranks from within the security system itself. He worked in counterintelligence for years, and his background will further strengthen this institution and our broader national security.

At any given moment, the decisive factor is what the team and the Prime Minister agree upon, what his vision is, and what candidates he chooses from. Therefore, both approaches are equally valid: a leader can come from professional ranks or from the political sphere. The main point is that the institution is managed correctly. As an executive law-enforcement agency, the State Security Service has its own specific features, unlike political institutions such as ministries or Parliament. In this regard, professional experience carries additional weight and significance,” Papuashvili has said.

Papuashvili maintained that as long as the Georgian Dream team adheres to the objectives set out in its election manifesto, voters will experience neither instability nor disappointment.

“Instability occurs when, as we sometimes observe in certain countries, elections are held once or even twice a year because the government itself is unstable,” he explained. “The problem arises when the majority is fragile, or when the political team lacks stability, not when one individual moves from heading one ministry to another. Why? Because the government operates according to the logic of the election outcome.

In 2024, our political team received 54 per cent of the vote. Over 1.12 million citizens granted us a mandate, first and foremost for our election programme and the promises we made to fulfil over the next four years and in the long term. Our election manifesto remains fully in force, and we are delivering on those promises.

Occasionally people express surprise, asking: “Why the constitutional lawsuit? Why the education reform?” Yet we set all of this out in 2024. It was not only written in our manifesto; our campaign speeches explicitly concerned education reform, the domestic political landscape, and so on. Therefore, our stability is underpinned by the support of our electorate, who voted for Georgian Dream based on its prior track record in government, its presented platform, and the goals we set out. They backed this vision. As long as this team pursues these objectives, there will be no instability or disappointment amongst our voters. We can see that our tasks are being carried out effectively.

Since I mentioned education reform, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate school pupils on the start of the academic year, especially our first-graders, who were under particular attention this year regarding school uniforms. You may recall the hysteria stirred up out of nowhere by our extremist opponents, yet today was our first-graders’ first day. When such hysteria, propaganda, and attempts to spread negativity are built on nothing, the fuss vanishes in a single day.

The first-grade pupils arrived at school looking splendid in their uniforms. Today, even the extremists who orchestrated this frenzy spared social media, seeing for themselves how lovely our first-graders look in their uniforms and the sense of pride in having the national coat of arms displayed on them. Today, both on social media and across the press, we saw only these beautiful photos of our first-graders,” Shalva Papuashvili concluded.