Georgia: Sovereignty without compromises Anti-drug reforms

While the ruling circles in the U.S. and the EU are preoccupied with the Russian-Ukrainian war and the upcoming ceasefire, the authorities of Georgia, whom the West has failed to either drag into this war or overthrow, are steadily strengthening the sovereignty of their country. The pro-Western opposition continues to rely on street protests, but as time passes, these protests are becoming increasingly small-scale and marginal.

To "remind society of their existence," opposition leaders and Salome Zourabichvili have announced a protest action on March 31, coinciding with the referendum day on Georgia's independence. However, the scale of these events is unlikely to match those of November-December of the previous year. They are likely to follow the same path as the calls for the release of Mikheil Saakashvili: shortly after the ex-president’s arrest, the protests were numerous, but then they virtually fizzled out.

On March 12, in addition to the sentences that Mikheil Saakashvili is already serving, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced him to another 9 years in prison for embezzling a large amount of budget funds. However, this did not cause any significant resonance in Georgia. The new sentence for Mikheil Saakashvili is a kind of "warning" to those opposition leaders who were in power during his presidency, signaling that they too may be held accountable for the misallocation of budget funds.

Interest in the Georgian opposition is also waning among its Western patrons. For instance, the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, where the "MEGOBARI" act, targeting the Georgian Dream party, was supposed to be discussed, was postponed. The demands of Salome Zourabichvili and the opposition for "new parliamentary elections" are no longer taken seriously, either in Georgia or abroad.

The opposition, which continues to insist on new parliamentary elections, thus finds an excuse not to participate in the local elections scheduled for October this year, where opposition political forces expect nothing but failure. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has already stated that the opposition is doomed to defeat in the upcoming local government elections and has no chance of winning in any district or city. At the same time, the Vice-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Gia Volski, stated that the decision to participate or not in the upcoming elections does not belong to the opposition—it is an instruction from their external handlers.

"This is not the opposition’s decision—whether to participate in the local government elections or not, it is an instruction. The global confrontation continues, and it may lead to negative consequences, as the world order is not yet firmly established. This issue should not only concern the new U.S. administration; European leaders should also take a stance. However, as we can see, the 'deep state' has once again mobilized its forces and certain financial resources, and Georgia is one of the small segments of this confrontation. In this segment, puppets are acting, carrying out the orders of the global war party to destabilize the situation in the country. Economic devastation is prescribed for the country as a lever that should bring them to power," said Volski.

By focusing on defending national sovereignty, the authorities of Georgia are removing the externally imposed, harmful liberal "agendas" that negatively impact the population. In effect, step by step, the previous "achievements" of Soros are being "nullified" in Georgia, and the opposition simply lacks the strength and internal support to "reverse the process."

It is worth recalling that one of the points of the liberal agenda, which globalist structures have actively imposed and continue to impose on national states, is the decriminalization of the circulation of first "light" and then heavy drugs, leading to the drug addiction of society. At the same time, this creates a kind of drug-dependent "fifth column" within the country, which, under external instructions, is ready to stage "Maidans" and "revolutions."

The imposition of a liberal stance on drugs and the promotion of LGBT issues are usually funded by the same structures through parallel programs. In the case of Georgia, the "drugification" was even more aggressive than LGBT propaganda. Unfortunately, the authorities of Georgia succumbed to pressure and decriminalized the circulation of light drugs. This not only led to an even greater spread of drug addiction, which had already become a "national disaster" among the youth of Georgia, but also to the first attempts at a "Maidan," which some experts eloquently dubbed the "drug Maidan."

It all began when, under pressure from foreign-funded NGOs and the opposition, Georgia abolished criminal liability for marijuana consumption. This decision was made by the Constitutional Court on November 30, 2017. From that point on, marijuana consumption in Georgia was only punishable by an administrative fine, and only repeat offenses led to criminal liability.

After the partial decriminalization of marijuana consumption, the use of both light and heavy drugs increased in Georgia. Additionally, "drug tourists" from neighboring countries began to visit Georgia, which negatively impacted the health of youth not only in Georgia but also in surrounding regions. The distribution of drugs through nightclubs sharply rose, and in an attempt to curb this trend, the police conducted raids on such establishments to dismantle drug networks.

A special operation by the Georgian police took place on the night of May 12, 2018, in two popular clubs in Tbilisi—Bassiani and Gallery. Armed police entered the clubs and conducted searches, arresting eight individuals suspected of drug trafficking. Immediately following this, Georgia witnessed a sort of "drug Maidan," which many experts consider a rehearsal for future large-scale protests. Regular patrons of the nightclubs, many of whom were clearly drug addicts, gathered in front of the parliament, demanding the full decriminalization of drug trafficking and the resignation of the government and interior ministry leaders.

At that time, the authorities effectively yielded to the pressure of the "drug Maidan," and the raids and inspections of nightclubs for drug distribution ceased. On July 30, 2018, the Constitutional Court's decision made marijuana consumption fully legal.

It is clear that after this, the pro-Western opposition and NGOs realized that they could exert pressure on the Georgian Dream government. The results of this pressure were evident for all to see. The Georgian authorities struggled to prevent attempts to organize a "Maidan-style" coup in 2019, 2020, and 2024. Today, having solidified their power, the ruling Georgian Dream party decided to take measures against the spread of drug addiction while simultaneously showing that it is not willing to follow the externally imposed, destructive agenda that harms the youth and the future of the nation.

Changes to Georgia's legislation have been announced, which will tighten the country's policy on drugs. The leader of the parliamentary majority of Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze, held a briefing on March 10 to discuss the changes in drug-related legislation. Penalties for the sale of "all types of narcotic substances" will be "extremely strict," Mdinaradze said, explaining that "for drug dealers, punishment will range from 12 to 20 years or life imprisonment, not only for the sale of large quantities but also small amounts of drugs." Drug dealers and those associated with them will have their assets confiscated, including real estate, which will be transferred to state ownership. Stricter penalties will also apply to the sale of marijuana.

Starting from June 1, 2025, if it is "proven" that an individual has consumed drugs, or if an individual refuses to undergo a drug test, they will be deprived of their driver's license for three years, the right to work in public service or educational institutions for five years, and the right to own weapons.

"For the survival of future generations, we intend to make this issue—anti-drug reform, anti-drug campaign, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle—a special national priority," stated Mamuka Mdinaradze. According to him, "Nothing can be more anti-national and anti-Georgian than the severe consequences of liberal drug policies."

Thus, the authorities of Georgia have decided to declare a war on drug addiction. This was long overdue, as the externally imposed "drug agenda" and the youth, lured into using "soft" and hard drugs by pro-Western NGOs, triggered destructive processes in Georgia that nearly led to a national catastrophe.

Vladimir Tskhvediani, Georgia, exclusively for Caliber.Az