Shalva Papuashvili: Coalition behind Namakhvani HPP sabotage orchestrating new campaign against national interests

“The same coalition that orchestrated Namakhvani HPP 1 against Georgia is now staging a Namakhvani HPP 2 regarding current development projects; the alliance between Alt-Info, the United National Movement, and foreign-funded NGOs existed then and persists today,” Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili told journalists.

Papuashvili was answering questions regarding a recent demonstration in Freedom Square, where protesters claimed to be rallying against the construction of so-called “Arab cities.”

“If we examine the composition of the group involved in this campaign, as well as its objectives and substance, it becomes clear that we are witnessing a Namakhvani HPP 2 operation. Again, the goal is to derail a project critical to our economic strength and energy independence, and they succeeded back then.

The damage inflicted on Georgia extends far beyond the 400 million GEL compensation claim; that externally managed false campaign struck a severe blow to our energy security and independence. The matter remains in arbitration awaiting a final ruling. Back then, xenophobic rhetoric was deployed, and an unholy alliance emerged between Alt-Info and the United National Movement. Today, we see the exact same pattern: Alt-Info and the UNM standing on a single front against Georgia’s national interests.

Regrettably, in 2020–2021, Georgia was not strong enough to withstand an externally planned campaign, allowing them to harm our national interests. Much has changed since then; notably, many foreign funding channels directed against Georgia have been closed. Today, the state is far stronger and will not permit such an absurd campaign to succeed. The very same alliance that organised Namakhvani HPP 1 against Georgia is now engineering Namakhvani HPP 2. The unity between these three groups, Alt-Info, the UNM, and NGOs, was present then and remains fully on display today.

If there is anything European about xenophobia, it belongs to the Europe of a century ago, which was undeniably xenophobic and largely fascist. It appears these self-proclaimed Georgian pro-Europeans are leading us towards that version of Europe—a fascist, xenophobic Europe. It is therefore hardly surprising that they have joined forces with Alt-Info; two factions previously perceived as antagonistic are now operating on the same side,” Papuashvili declared.

The Parliamentary Speaker further noted that a prominent Alt-Info figure, who previously participated in a televised debate with the Prime Minister, refrained from even uttering the term “Arabisation” because it represents an absurd label.

“One of the leaders of Alt-Info, who had previously withdrawn from politics and is now attempting to rehabilitate himself, participated in a televised debate with the Prime Minister and could not bring himself to mention the word ‘Arabisation’, precisely because it is an absurd label designed to replicate the Namakhvani HPP narrative.

Looking at the demographic composition of Georgia’s residents, individuals from the Arab world constitute a mere 0.3% of the total population; this figure represents total residents, rather than citizens. This statistic alone exposes the absolute absurdity of these allegations,” Papuashvili concluded.