Georgia’s President, Salome Zurabishvili, says she will not leave the country. She made this clear in an interview with TVPWorld in Strasbourg.
Zurabishvili was asked if she plans to return to Georgia. She said no, and emphasized that she wants support now, from her own people. She does not want international recognition like the leaders of Belarus and Venezuela got after they left their countries.
The President also talked about the European Union’s response to what is happening in Georgia. She said most EU countries have shown moral and political support. This includes countries like Poland, Germany, and France.
Zurabishvili says the situation in Georgia is worse than just democratic backsliding. It is the imposition of a Russian model on her country, which was one of the strongest democracies in the region. She believes Russia is trying to use elections as a tool to capture countries that want to be part of Europe and democracy.
Zurabishvili thinks this should alarm Europe because it’s a new way for Russia to wage electoral warfare. She says this has been tested not just in Georgia but also in Romania.