Papuashvili: IRI and EC studies show Georgia leading in government trust; 14 years of unbroken peace demonstrates public confidence

“When a political force delivers 14 years of uninterrupted peace, it demonstrates the public’s confidence,” Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili declared on Friday, commenting on newly circulated International Republican Institute (IRI) survey results.

Papuashvili asserted that had the collective opposition led by the United National Movement (UNM) been in power in 2022 rather than Georgian Dream, Georgia would have been dragged into war.

“We would have become part of the conflict, a nation reduced to ruins. If the government had been staffed by those who urged us to submit whenever a foreign official gave orders, we would have unquestionably entered the war. They listened to foreign actors pacing our corridors and offices, demanding that we choose a side between light and darkness, impose sanctions on Russia, shut down airspace, and pursue total escalation,” the Speaker stated.

Turning to the polling data, Papuashvili emphasised that objective research places Georgia at the forefront of European nations regarding public trust in government.

“When a political force guarantees 14 years of unbroken peace, that reflects public trust. Both the IRI study and the European Commission’s Eurobarometer survey demonstrate that Georgia ranks among the top performers in government trust. When you look at objective metrics, they align and reinforce one another,” the Speaker noted.

“Party leaders like those in Lelo assume that because they purchased TV Pirveli and broadcast themselves 24 hours a day, they command public support. Yet this survey shows their rating is effectively zero, failing even to register within the margin of error. Giga Bokeria similarly thinks the public has forgotten his role in constructing and ideologically cementing Saakashvili’s authoritarian and oppressive regime, but the poll shows his party rating at zero as well,'” Mr Papuashvili continued.

“They have looked in the mirror, seen their own distorted political reflection, and believed that by turning away from that mirror, they can flee reality. But reality catches up with everyone. It has caught up with them at the ballot box time and again, and it will catch up with anyone who campaigns against the national interest,” the Speaker concluded.

The statements follow leaks on social media showing slide decks of internal IRI polling data. According to the circulated slides, Georgian Dream leads party preferences with 36 per cent, followed by the UNM at 5 per cent. Iago Khvichia’s Free People Party (formerly Girchi), the Labour Party, Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia, and the Ahali party each stand at 2 per cent. Ana Dolidze’s For the People, Zurab Japaridze’s Girchi – More Freedom, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, and People’s Power received 1 per cent, while Lelo and the Federalists failed to register measurable support.

Separately, the European Commission’s latest Eurobarometer survey ranked Georgia in the top five European nations for public trust in government.