People's Power (Georgia)

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People's Power
ხალხის ძალა
ChairmanSozar Subari
FoundersSozar Subari
Mikheil Kavelashvili
Dimitri Khundadze
Founded2 August 2022 (2022-08-02)
Split fromGeorgian Dream
IdeologyAnti-Americanism[1]
Russophilia[1]
Hard Euroscepticism[2]
Social Conservatism
Populism
Political positionSyncretic
Parliament of Georgia
9 / 150
Municipal Councilors
24 / 2,068
Website
Facebook page

People's Power (Georgian: ხალხის ძალა, romanized: khalkhis dzala) is a Georgian political party founded by Georgian MPs Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze, after they left the ruling Georgian Dream.[3]

History[edit]

Party logo until 18 March 2024

The movement was founded on 2 August 2022. The founders of the movement said that they remain in agreement with the Georgian Dream on core values, but had tactical differences from Georgian Dream. According to them, the main goal of the movement will be to "bring to the public more truth that is hidden behind the scenes of Georgian politics".[4][5]

As of October 2022, nine deputies had already joined the movement, depriving the Georgian Dream of its parliamentary majority.[6] The deputies in People's Power decided to remain in the ruling majority, supporting the government.[7][8][9]

The movement has notably criticized the United States foreign policy in Georgia. In a number of public letters, its members have questioned US funding for Georgia, saying that it only served to strengthen American interests in Georgia at the expense of Georgia's state institutions and sovereignty.[10] It has accused the United States Embassy of interfering in the country's internal affairs and undermining the Georgian judiciary.[11] The movement has accused a number of Georgian political parties (including the largest opposition party, United National Movement) and NGOs of being American agents.[12] The movement has accused the USAID of "attacking Georgia's sovereignty" and "trying to subjugate the Georgian judiciary to foreign control".[13]

On 15 February 2023, People's Power introduced a bill that was largely a one-to-one copy of the Russian foreign agent law, which sparked massive protests across the country after the ruling Georgian Dream voiced support for it, until the bill was withdrawn.[14]

On March 18, 2024, a party congress was convened, which reorganised the movement into a political party and elected MP Sozar Subari as its chairman.[15]

Political positions[edit]

People's Power founder and chairman Sozar Subari (third from right) meeting with US officials including ambassador Richard Norland (fourth from right)

The movement supports limiting foreign funding of the NGOs to curb foreign influence. It claims to defend Georgia's sovereignty from external influences and attempts to describe itself as sovereigntist.[16][17] Despite this People's Power vocally supports further integration into the Russian sphere of influence, and supports various pro-Russian positions.[1] People's Power is more frequently labeled "anti-Western" than their preferred definition as "sovereigntist."[1]

People's Power is described as a satellite of Georgian Dream in a "Good cop, bad cop" dynamic, where People's Power vocally supports more radical, less popular positions that Georgian Dream's leadership more covertly supports, allowing for Georgian Dream to test support for their own positions.[1][18] Namely, People's Power's staunch anti-EU, anti-NATO, anti-American and Pro-Russian stance, is at odds with the more pragmatic approach that Georgian Dream officially supports, however, in the build up to the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election, Georgian Dream has started to adopt some of their junior partner's positions.[1][18]

Other more radical positions that People's Power takes include; stringent anti-gay and anti-liberal legislature, an emphasis on traditional values and the moral authority of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and "disregard [of] international opinion."[19] The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace described the party as "Afraid of Georgian Democracy" for its support of the foreign agent bill that sparked the 2023 Georgian protests as well as being advocates of a Russian-style “managed democracy."[19] The Georgian Institute of Politics, a Tbilisi-based non-profit, also identified People's Power as "adopt[ing] clearly populist and conspiratorial anti-Western messaging" that has pinned the blame for the lack of EU integration on the EU, instead of the Georgian government's inaction on the matter.[18]

People's Power has also claimed that the United States is attempting to pressure the Georgian government to open a "southern front" of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that American ambassador Kelly C. Degnan was "in cahoots" with "radical groups" "to bring about chaos and undermine sustainable development of the country."[18] The party has also attacked Switzerland and Credit Suisse for freezing the accounts of internationally sanctioned Russian war criminals and that Swiss "banks, courts and the media work in total coordination to undermine human rights."[18] New Eastern Europe has gone so far to say that People's Power is a showcase of "Russian soft power" in Georgia.[20]

Seats in Municipal assemblies[edit]

Municipal Council Seats Status
Gori[21]
2 / 36
 Government
Zugdidi[22]
2 / 45
 Opposition
Khobi[22]
1 / 36
 Government
Adigeni[23][24]
3 / 33
 Government
Akhalkalaki[24]
2 / 36
 Government
Akhaltsikhe[24]
3 / 39
 Government
Aspindza[23]
3 / 30
 Government
Borjomi[24]
2 / 33
 Government
Ninotsminda[24]
2 / 30
 Government
Telavi[23]
1 / 39
 Government
Lagodekhi[25]
1 / 30
 Government
Terjola[25]
1 / 30
 Government
Chiatura[25]
1 / 36
 Government

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Machaidze, Rusudan. ""People's Power": anti-Western movement in the service of the ruling party of Georgia". JAM News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  2. ^ name="positions"
  3. ^ Today, Georgia (2022-08-03). "Former GD MPs Establish Public Movement 'People's Power'". Georgia Today. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  4. ^ ""ხალხის ძალა" - სუბარმა, ყაველაშვილმა, ხუნდაძემ და მაჭარაშვილმა მოძრაობა დააფუძნეს". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  5. ^ Datunashvili, Irakli (2022-08-03). ""ხალხის ძალა" - ოცნებიდან წასულმა დეპუტატებმა საზოგადოებრივი მოძრაობა დააფუძნეს - JAMnews". Georgian Jamnews (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  6. ^ ""სიმართლის მთქმელი" 9 დეპუტატი და "ოცნება" უმრავლესობის გარეშე". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  7. ^ "Movement People's Power consults on enlargement". 1TV. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  8. ^ "Irakli Garibashvili on People's Power movement". caucasuswatch.de (in German). 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  9. ^ "ცნობილია, რომელი დეპუტატები და ექსპერტები უერთდებიან "ოცნებიდან" წასულ "ოთხეულს"". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  10. ^ "Georgian society should be interested in US aid goals, People's Power says". 1tv. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  11. ^ "Former ruling party MPs accuse US Embassy of "attacking the Govt", interfering in judiciary". 1tv. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  12. ^ "Georgia is envisioned for a certain role that we shall play under the dictation of the Embassy - new statement of the People's Power". Rustavi 2. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  13. ^ "People Power Says USAID-backed Rule of Law Project "Attack on Sovereignty"". Civil.ge. 24 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-26. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  14. ^ Dolbaia, Tina; Snegovaya, Maria. "In Georgia, Civil Society Wins against Russia-Style 'Foreign Agents' Bill". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Civil Georgia | People's Power Officially Registers Political Party". civil.ge. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  16. ^ "Q&A What does "Foreign Agent Law" mean for Georgia?". Civil.ge. Archived from the original on 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  17. ^ "Sovereignist Revival". Civil.ge. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  18. ^ a b c d e Kakachia, Kornely. "People's Power or Populist Pawns? Examining Georgia's New Anti-Western Political Movement". ResearchGate. Georgian Institute of Politics. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  19. ^ a b Sabanadze, Natalie. "Who Is Afraid of Georgian Democracy?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  20. ^ Totadze, Davit. "Russian soft power in Georgia: "People's Power" and the "foreign agent" media law". New Eastern Europe. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  21. ^ ""ხალხის ძალას" გორში უერთდება წევრი, რომელსაც კელი დეგნანთან კითხვები არა აქვს". Qartli.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-26. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  22. ^ a b "ზუგდიდის საკრებულოს 2 წევრი "ხალხის ძალას" შეუერთდა". radioatinati.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-25. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  23. ^ a b c ""ოცნება" დეპუტატებმა კიდევ 3 საკრებულოში დატოვეს". Netgazeti (in Georgian). 2022-07-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  24. ^ a b c d e "'ხალხის ძალას' სამცხე-ჯავხეთიდან 'ოცნების' 10–მდე დეპუტატი შეუერთდა". sknews.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-25. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  25. ^ a b c "ოთხ მუნიციპალიტეტში "ქართული ოცნების" საკრებულოს წევრებმა პარტია დატოვეს". Borjomi TV (in Georgian). 2022-07-11. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
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