Eka Sepashvili is a prominent Georgian politician and member of the right-wing, sovereigntist political party People’s Power, which she co-founded in 2022 after separating from the ruling Georgian Dream party. As an MP Sepashvili has played a pivotal role in Georgia’s political landscape, fiercely advocating for national sovereignty and resisting external pressures.
Sepashvili has held several key positions, including First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Sector Economy and Economic Policy and Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. She has also served as a Program Adviser at the Council of Europe’s Democracy and Governance Department and as Senior Advisor to the Minister of the State Ministry for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
In addition to her political career, Sepashvili is a respected academic. She is an Associate Professor at Tbilisi Iv. Javakhishvili State University, Faculty of Business and Economy, where she remains active in research. Her scholarly work includes numerous articles and manuals on gender issues, international competition, and the challenges of international integration and globalization. Known for her outspoken criticism of EU and some particular European politicians’ double standards and political interference, Sepashvili is a staunch defender of Georgia’s independence and democratic values. Her political ideology blends a strong commitment to European principles and values with a firm rejection of foreign influence in Georgia’s internal affairs.
Ms. Sepashvili, until 2022 you served as a Member of Parliament for the ruling Georgian Dream party. That year, you and nine fellow MPs broke away to establish a new political movement, People’s Power. While formally distinct from Georgian Dream, your party remains part of the governing coalition, and its candidates even appeared on a shared electoral list with Georgian Dream in the 2024 parliamentary elections. What motivated you and your colleagues to part ways with Georgian Dream and create People’s Power?
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Georgia has faced mounting international pressure to join the conflict. While this pressure was initially hidden from the public, the ruling party was well aware of it. Much of this pressure came from the opposition, which is increasingly seen as serving foreign interests rather than representing the Georgian people.
With foreign backing, the opposition called for Georgia to take actions that would have directly involved us in the war, such as sending Georgian volunteers to Ukraine and imposing bilateral sanctions on Russia. We opposed these measures, believing they would be disastrous for our country and inevitably boost military conflict with Russia. Georgia has supported international sanctions against Russia, including financial ones, and our compliance has been praised by international missions. However, imposing bilateral sanctions on Russia would have harmed Georgia more than it would have pressured Russia, as our trade volume with Russia is minimal, but critical to our economy. Some estimates suggested unilateral sanctions could result in an 18% drop in GDP.
Beyond economic pressure, there were discussions about Georgia becoming more directly involved militarily, which we rejected due to the ongoing Russian occupation of 20% of Georgian territory. Any escalation would have posed serious military risks.
At the time, it was difficult for the public to understand the complex context behind these decisions. To address this, three members of the Georgian Dream party decided to be open with the public about the pressures Georgia was facing. Initially skeptical, I soon realized that transparency worked. As people understood the rationale behind our decisions, they recognized that the government was acting responsibly.
Eventually, I left Georgian Dream and, with nine former colleagues, founded a new political party, People’s Power. Our mission is to expose the foreign pressures influencing Georgia and to tell the public the truth about the forces trying to escalate tensions with Russia. We have also highlighted how certain NGOs have operated in Georgia, sometimes with the aim of destabilizing the government. Our efforts helped inform the public, especially during the 2024 parliamentary elections, where People’s Power ran on the same list as Georgian Dream. After the elections, we formed an independent parliamentary group. This was necessary because the other elected parties refused to take their seats, leaving no true opposition in Parliament. As an independent group, we aim to serve as a constructive opposition, advocating for stability, responsibility, and the national interest.
Several opposition parties that crossed the electoral threshold are currently refusing to participate in Parliament. Can you explain the rationale behind their boycott and how the Georgian Parliament is responding to this situation?
The political parties that passed the 5% electoral threshold in last autumn’s parliamentary elections are still refusing to participate in Parliament. These parties have formally submitted letters to request the revocation of their mandates. Of the four parties that crossed the threshold, three have officially requested their parliamentary seats be withdrawn. We have accepted these requests and revoked their mandates accordingly.
Their goal seems to be to provoke a political crisis, similar to the one after the 2020 parliamentary elections, which led to nearly a year of instability. This time, we decided to meet their demands and revoke their mandates to prevent another prolonged crisis that would harm the country’s development.
From a democratic standpoint, this situation is unfortunate. These parties were elected by a portion of Georgian society to represent their interests in Parliament, and now they are abandoning that responsibility. However, we cannot allow them to use Parliament as a tool to create instability.
As for the fourth party, they have not yet formally requested to have their mandates revoked but are currently boycotting Parliament by not attending sessions or participating in parliamentary activities. While the law allows this for a limited time, if their absence continues, we will address their case according to legislative procedures.
In reading about People’s Power, I noticed that the party is frequently portrayed in the Western press in a highly critical light—often labeled with terms like ‘radically anti-Western.’ I have to say that such characterizations didn’t surprise me, considering the dismal state of the mainstream press in Europe and North America. But from your perspective, how would you describe People’s Power’s national ideology and political stance?”
There have been strong efforts, particularly from outside actors, to label us as an anti-Western or radical party. In reality, the opposite is true. We stand firmly for European values—equality, tolerance, human rights, justice, and the rule of law. These are the foundations of any civilized society, and we are fully committed to them.
The reason we’ve been labeled “radicals” is because we were among the first to call out the double standards applied by the West—especially the EU—towards Georgia. For instance, in June 2022, both Moldova and Ukraine were granted EU candidate status, but Georgia was not, even though, according to official EU criteria, Georgia was ahead of both in terms of readiness. We spoke out about this discrepancy, which led opponents to brand us as anti-Western. However, this label is far from accurate. We are fully in favor of European integration. In fact, many of us, including myself, have been directly involved in the integration process, participating in legal reforms to harmonize Georgian legislation with EU standards and in institutional reforms required by the Association Agreement. I was part of the original team negotiating this agreement.
What we oppose is not the EU, but the double standards and political pressure disguised as conditionality. Over the past three years, some EU officials have used the integration process to exert political influence over Georgia’s internal affairs, often empowering radical opposition groups seeking to destabilize the country.
For us, the EU should embody democratic values, not political interference. While some EU countries, like the Baltic States, continue extensive trade with Russia, Georgia was pressured to completely sever ties with Russia. This is just one example of unfair treatment.
For instance, last year, on November 28th, the Georgian government announced that it would not prioritize opening EU membership negotiations until 2028 but would continue implementing reforms required by the Association Agreement. This was said in order to avoid the protest rallies that Georgia would face every time when the European Council hold a meeting and, with great probability, decides not to open membership negotiations with Georgia. This is natural, since high-ranking officials of the European Commission have repeatedly stated that there were no plans to expand the European Union until 2030. Radical and opposition media outlets and political figures purposely misrepresented this as a halt in Georgia’s EU integration efforts, which was simply not the case.
We want to ensure the integration process isn’t used as a political tool. When we introduced the Law on Transparency, modeled after the U.S. Foreign Agent Registration Act, there was significant backlash. Our goal was to increase transparency, not weaken democracy. European officials pressured us to withdraw the law, but we questioned: What’s wrong with transparency? The law focused on ensuring greater transparency for NGOs, and transparency is a key European value outlined throughout the Association Agreement.
Our push for transparency turned out to be justified. The current administration revealed that some NGOs were working against Georgia’s legitimate authorities. The Georgian public deserves to know who funds these organizations and their true objectives.
We also proposed a law to protect family values and the rights of minors. While it was mischaracterized as anti-LGBT, it was actually focused on protecting children from certain types of ideological messaging, while promoting traditional family values. LGBT rights are already protected under Georgian law. Again, European officials urged us to withdraw this law. Yet, similar discussions are taking place in the U.S. under the Trump administration about protecting family values and shielding children from ideological pressures.
These are not radical positions. They reflect societal demands and were central to our campaign platform. The election outcome showed that the majority of Georgians support these values, which is why we received the mandate we did.
The EU’s actions clearly and unequivocally demonstrate a lack of good faith, don’t they?
Yes, it is very clear, indeed. The People’s Power is working to uphold democratic values, especially European values, which we strongly support and seek to protect. However, the EU bureaucracy often—I’d even say very frequently—acts in ways that contradict these values and undermine our mission. We are committed to the democratic values that formed the foundation of the European Union.
I believe a similar process is taking place within the EU itself. For example, in Romania, when election results were ignored and a leading candidate was barred from running, or in France, where actions have been taken against Marine Le Pen. These incidents are happening across European countries and they undermine core European values, such as respecting diversity, honoring people’s choices, safeguarding freedom of choice, and ensuring free elections.
Sadly, it has become all too apparent that the EU has turned its back on the very principles it once championed. This is especially evident in the case of Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu: first, the annulment of the election he won, followed by his disqualification from running. Then there’s the imprisonment of Marine Le Pen and her exclusion from the race, despite her status as the leading candidate. In Germany, preliminary steps have also been taken to impose a total ban on Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which now is in the 1st place, in front of the Union block (CDU/CSU). On top of that, EU leaders continue to grossly mistreat Hungary and Slovakia due to ideological differences. It appears that the EU has abandoned any pretense of being a liberal democratic actor. The façade has crumbled.
The same processes are being imposed on Georgia. For example, there have been numerous attempts at foreign interference before elections. Some high-ranking officials from the EU bureaucracy and certain ambassadors from EU member states have openly stated their support for radical opposition groups, making clear their intent to interfere. They even funded some election campaigns, providing financial backing to certain political efforts.
One example is the Danish government, which allocated budget funds to organize what was essentially a campaign event for the opposition. This event, called the Democratic Forum, was exclusively attended by opposition parties, who used it to push for the release of figures like Mikheil Saakashvili from prison. It was evident that this forum was being used to benefit the opposition.
The underlying message from the EU bureaucracy seemed to be that the Georgian people should elect a government that aligns with the EU’s preferences. All of this, along with the clear double standards, is eroding public trust in European values and European integration. And I regard, it is not good. In contrast, genuine European values—those of equality and democracy—are the ones we respect and seek to implement in Georgia.
Before we move on to other topics, I’d like to briefly revisit your party, People’s Power. We know how the mainstream, globalist-controlled Western press characterizes your party, but how would you describe it in your own words? Is it a conservative party, a right-wing party, a populist movement, or something else? Also, what is your relationship with the Georgian Orthodox Church? Are you close with them?
We are closely aligned with the Georgian Orthodox Church. However, that does not mean we are opposed to other religions. We respect people’s religious beliefs and stand for freedom of choice in this regard. We advocate for mutual respect, equality, and adherence to international law in global relations. Our main goal is for Georgia to be treated as an equal partner in international affairs. Of course, we also believe that conservative values, such as family, faith, and religion, should be respected by everyone. These are the values we hope to promote.
What is the People’s Power party’s stance on NATO?
Of course, we are not opposed to NATO integration because it concerns the security of our country. Security is crucial for Georgia, especially given our location in such a volatile region. In this context, security issues are of utmost importance for Georgia. Therefore, NATO integration and partnership are vital for our security cooperation
At this stage, however, discussing NATO membership is not a top priority. We are all closely watching current events, and right now, I don’t believe NATO expansion is likely. However, partnerships on security issues remain very important.
In May 2024, after the Georgian parliament, led by Georgian Dream, approved the ‘Foreign Agent’ law, which mandates the registration of individuals working on behalf of foreign entities like NGOs and foreign governments. As you mentioned, both the EU and NATO condemned it, urging the Georgian government to reconsider. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell openly stated the law would impact Georgia’s EU accession process negatively. Why do you think the EU reacted so strongly? Do you believe their opposition is due to concerns over exposing the funding sources of left-liberal NGOs, think tanks, media outlets, and ‘civil society’ organizations—many of which are funded by the EU and globalist organizations and are seen as undermining your government?
I think so, yes. They don’t want the real funding sources and objectives of the NGOs to be revealed—especially since many of these NGOs are effectively affiliated with political parties. For example, some NGOs that were funded were aligned with political parties and carried out radical actions, including violence. Of course, they don’t want this exposed.
On the other hand, this is a clear example of double standards. In 2016, the EU demanded that Georgia take steps to make the NGO sector more transparent. When we attempted to do this and proposed a law, they opposed it. Even in 2020, the MONEYVAL, one of the Council of Europe bodies, recommended that Georgia implement regulations to increase transparency in the NGO sector. They had been pushing us for more transparency from the start, but when it became clear that the Georgian government intended to protect our national security and avoid getting involved in a war with Russia, it turned out that transparency in the NGO sector was no longer in their interest. This is a very vivid example of double standards.
Moreover, the EU had even tried to issue directives on NGO sector transparency. So what’s wrong with transparency? They couldn’t explain it. The only argument they presented was that the law would cause NGOs to cease their activities in Georgia. But that’s simply not true. After the law was enacted, around 500 NGOs registered under it, and no restrictions were imposed on their activities. I can also add that the first article of the law clearly states that no restrictions will be placed on the activities of NGOs or civil society organizations. In fact, they can still, for example, manage movements—they just have to declare their activities.
So, I really don’t understand what was so wrong with this transparency law or why they were so strongly opposed to it. The EU’s demand for us to repeal this law became part of almost every one of their demands on other issues.
After the law was passed, we saw an unhinged media storm, the kind that we’ve all become accustomed to: ‘Georgia has approved a foreign agent law based on the Russian model.’ But the truth is, it’s actually based on the US Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Yes, it’s absurd. They labeled the law as “Russian” to provoke anger in Georgian society, knowing the history of occupation. They knew this would stir emotions and generate more opposition. If they had called it “American,” there wouldn’t have been as much backlash, because Georgian society doesn’t react as strongly to the U.S.
As you know, similar legislation exists in the U.S. Currently, we already passed the Law, similar to the US FARA. While the previous transparency law was softer, we faces massive and violent protest, but now with a stricter foreign agent registration law, there have been no street protests. What changed? The Trump administration banned USAID and other organizations funding NGOs here. After that, these foreign-funded groups went silent. They stopped protesting once the USAID and NED, or other foreign funding stopped. Just few declarations were made against the new law.
This shows the difference: when foreign actors were funding the opposition and NGOs, they strongly opposed the law. But once that funding ceased, the protests stopped. The law doesn’t restrict activities; it just requires organizations and individuals receiving foreign funds to disclose their sources. It’s about transparency.
In a democratic society, the public has the right to know who is financing certain actions or groups. Transparency is essential for informed decision-making. Democracy is about making informed choices, and with the right information, people can make the right decision. This was clear in the 2024 parliamentary elections, where Georgian society understood it was a choice between peace and war, development and destruction. It was like a referendum on the country’s future, and the people chose peace and development.
We, the People’s Power party, have focused on providing more information to Georgian society. After three years of this work, we saw a significant shift in the electorate.
It’s reassuring that the Georgian public made the right choice, despite being inundated with misinformation from the globalists’ extensive media apparatus. Had the election outcome been different, it would have signaled a failure of information systems and widespread public misguidance. This leads me to the media landscape in Georgia. What is the media environment like there? Are foreign outlets prominent? For instance, in countries like Portugal and the Czech Republic, CNN is widely available, but it often spreads misinformation. Is the situation similar in Georgia?”
In Georgia, we have a diverse media landscape with many TV channels. Unfortunately, some opposition channels spread misinformation and false narratives. From the start, they successfully established misleading assumptions, and we’ve been working to counter these falsehoods. One example is how they labeled the transparency law as a “Russian law.” Initially, they succeeded in framing it this way, but after statements from People’s Power and Georgian Dream, along with more informed public discussions, people have become more skeptical of the information being spread. They now understand the importance of verifying sources, making it harder for the media to manipulate public perception.
Recently, we passed a new media law, aimed at fighting disinformation. This law is inspired by British regulations and seeks to combat false narratives. Opposition media, of course, is unhappy, claiming the law restricts their activities. In practice, however, it only limits the spread of false information and propaganda. Media outlets still have the freedom to promote ideas, but they must do so responsibly.
I’d like to turn to the USAID-funded protests and riots that erupted in Georgia following the announcement of the foreign agent legislation, the presidential election, and other events. Many journalists, scholars, and analysts have compared these protests, which turned quite violent, to Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution and other color revolutions supported by organizations like USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). What are your thoughts on these protests?
Sure. There were four attempted revolutionary scenarios in Georgia, with estimates suggesting that USAID spent around $40 million, though some reports, including from Elon Musk, claim it was even more. This funding fueled widespread unrest, particularly in November, when violent protests were held for five days. Despite being widely portrayed by international media as peaceful, these protests were violent, especially when compared to similar demonstrations in Germany. This is another example of double standards.
Protesters used fireworks and Molotov cocktails, targeting the Parliament and law enforcement officers. Over 150 law enforcement officers were injured during what was described as a ‘peaceful demonstration.’ After an investigation, the authorities found weapons, including military-grade arms and Molotov cocktails, in the possession of those involved.
Once these violent tactics were uncovered, the protests shifted back to more ‘peaceful’ demonstrations, with demands for new parliamentary elections. However, this is absurd, especially considering the OSCE’s positive assessment of Georgia’s elections, which were deemed fair and transparent. Over 54% of Georgian citizens expressed their support for Georgian Dream in the last election.
Under Georgian Dream’s leadership, the country has maintained peace and experienced impressive economic growth. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both praised Georgia’s economic prospects, with growth rates of around 9-9.5% in early 2024. This is not only about peace but also about significant economic development.”
Despite the OSCE’s assessment, the European Parliament passed a resolution rejecting the validity of the results and calling for a repeat of the vote, correct?
Yes, the European Parliament passed multiple resolutions—five or six in total. There’s another unfair issue. For instance, they demanded the release of Mikheil Saakashvili, our former president who was convicted not only by Georgian courts but also by the European Court of Human Rights, in fact thus pressuring us to violate the rule of law. They also called for sanctions against Russia, that would with great probability escalate tension and even maybe armed conflict. These resolutions do not reflect the respect for European values; rather, they are biased and push actions that go against both European principles and Georgia’s national interests, as well as the will of our people.
How have bilateral relations between the US and Georgia changed under the Trump administration?
After the Trump administration, international pressure from the US eased, but pressure from EU member countries intensified through various statements and the EU bureaucracy’s reluctance to continue cooperation with Georgia. I don’t believe anything changed with the EU after Trump’s tenure; they remained unsupportive of continued cooperation with Georgia. In fact, the situation worsened with statements from individual countries and even sanctions against high-ranking Georgian officials, particularly from the Baltic states. These actions reflect the EU’s double standards towards Georgia.
But would you say US-Georgian relations are good?
I believe we are currently waiting to see what policies the new administration will adopt regarding Georgia. We aim for a equal partnership and closer cooperation to further develop our strategic relationship. Currently, when the new administration is prioritize efforts to end Russia’s aggression and solve armed conflicts in Middle East, Georgia is less of a focus. That said, I remain hopeful that the new administration will approach relations with Georgia on a fresh, equal footing, fostering closer cooperation based on mutual respect for our national interests.
