The Washington Post: Putin Not Winning Over Georgia

The Washington Post released an article stating, western orientation is prevailing in Georgia.

“Last Friday, after years of diplomatic wrangling over the course of two administrations, the Republic of Georgia received a report from the European Union allowing its citizens visa-free travel within the European Union sometime soon. Nevertheless, some news media earlier this year suggested that Georgia was turning toward Russia rather than the EU,” the WP says.

The article says, since its independence in 1991, Georgia has favored Europe overwhelmingly. “Polling has found levels of support for the EU that Brussels could only dream of elsewhere in Europe, and serious ongoing problems between Georgia and Russia would naturally strengthen those pro-Europe leanings.”

According to the WP, in August, Georgians were asked whether they approve of the Georgian government’s goal of joining the EU and whether Georgia should join the Eurasian Customs Union.

“Twice as many Georgians prefer the EU to the Eurasian Union, 61 percent to 31 percent. This has been largely consistent over time, although support for the EU has had its ups and downs, with a slight decline in recent years. Nonetheless, support for the Eurasian Customs Union has never been more than half the level of support for the EU,” reads the article.

If the country’s current elite, and the EU and U.S. for that matter, want the sun to keep rising in the West, as it has for the past 25 years, then they should consistently and frequently say so to the Georgian public.

“Politicians need to talk to the public about why a Euro-atlantic orientation is important for Georgia, if that’s what they really want for the country. Otherwise, it could start shifting north again. That said, it hasn’t, yet.” the article concludes.