Speaker: True value of independence lies in our ability to pursue policies that benefit people without external interference

“Georgia is not just outpacing all EU member and candidate countries in terms of economic growth, but doing so several times over,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said.

Papuashvili published a forecast for GDP growth in 2026 on social media.

“This data alone is enough to show how severe the consequences of subordinating one’s economic policy to Brussels’ instructions can be. This is already evident to many in the European Union today – high energy prices, businesses relocating abroad, rising unemployment in most countries, and many other problems.

The example of Moldova makes this difference particularly clear.

Moldova, which recorded 13.9% growth in 2021, experienced an economic contraction of 4.6% in 2022 after subordinating its economic policy to Brussels’ demands (while Georgia recorded 11% growth in the same year). Since 2023, Moldova has failed to exceed 1% growth.

Despite the billions promised by the European Union, Moldova’s economy is expected to grow by only 1.5% this year, five times less than Georgia’s projected growth of 7.2%.

This difference is not merely statistical; it comes at a tangible cost.

Had Georgia’s economy grown by 1.5% in 2026, like Moldova’s, instead of 7.2%, the country’s 2027 budget would have been at least GEL 1 billion smaller. For reference, in the 2027 budget, we are increasing funding for pensions, healthcare and education by precisely GEL 1 billion. It is clear that without an independent and sound economic policy, mobilizing these additional financial resources would have been considerably more difficult. It is equally clear that Brussels would not have compensated for this shortfall – it would have neither financed pension increases nor covered healthcare and education expenditures.

And one more point. A few days ago, the President of Moldova proudly announced that the country had completely stopped importing gas from Russia and was now purchasing gas from the European Union. That is all well and good, but there is one detail: in 2021, before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the price of one cubic meter of gas for consumers in Moldova was GEL 0.65, whereas this year it has reached GEL 3.75. Incidentally, in Georgia, the price of one cubic meter of gas was GEL 0.56 in 2021 and remains GEL 0.56 today – seven times cheaper than in Moldova.

The importance of independence lies not merely in the fact that we are marked on the map under a separate name. Its main value is that we can pursue policies without external interference, based on national interests and delivering tangible benefits to our people.

This is the advantage of independence, and we must never give it up,” Papuashvili wrote.