Irakli Rukhadze, the owner of the government propaganda TV channel Imedi, argues that European integration should not have been included in the constitution, noting that this issue has been elevated to a "sacred level."
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"Joining the EU or not joining the EU is just one issue among many important ones for Georgia," remarked Irakli Rukhadze, owner of the government propaganda TV channel Imedi.
"Perhaps it's true that around 80% of Georgia's population expresses a desire to join the European Union. However, according to the same NDI surveys that cite these numbers, when asked about priority issues, only 2% consider European integration a top concern. Much more pressing are issues like poverty alleviation, employment, healthcare, education, and territorial integrity. About four to five years ago, surveys indicated that only a small fraction, approximately 2%, considered EU accession a crucial issue.
"We've elevated this issue to a kind of fetishization. The opposition openly engages in this, supported, I believe, by Western powers. Unfortunately, Georgian Dream finds itself compelled to treat this as an extremely significant matter. Our entire national focus has shifted in this direction."
"These developments occur against the backdrop of European integration being treated almost as a sacred dogma. The constitution mandates this course, stating, 'We must do it because it's written in the constitution.' Why was it enshrined in the constitution in the first place? Frankly, I find it completely nonsensical and believe it should not have been included. The constitution serves a different purpose,” Rukhadze said in an interview given to his own TV channel.
In 2017, constitutional amendments introduced Article 78, compelling all constitutional bodies to take necessary actions within their authority to ensure Georgia's full integration into the European Union and NATO, In 2019, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a leader of Georgian Dream, explained that European integration was constitutionally affirmed “to underscore our unwavering commitment to Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space, which we are determined to join”.
