Author

  • Mikheil Sarjveladze is a visiting scholar at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). At SWP he researches the foreign policy of the South Caucasian countries in the context of the disintegration of the post-Soviet space. Mikheil Sarjveladze holds a PhD in political science from the University of Cologne and a Masterโ€™s degree in politics and history of the 20th century from the University of Jena. Mikheil Sarjveladze studied German Language/Literature and Social Sciences at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and University of GieรŸen. He gained professional experience at the Universities of Jena and Cologne, the German Bundestag, the South Caucasus Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Embassy of Georgia to the Federal Republic of Germany.

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11/03/2025 Mikheil Sarjveladze

From Dream to Deception: How Georgian Dream Sabotaged Relations with Germany

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Author

  • Mikheil Sarjveladze is a visiting scholar at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). At SWP he researches the foreign policy of the South Caucasian countries in the context of the disintegration of the post-Soviet space. Mikheil Sarjveladze holds a PhD in political science from the University of Cologne and a Masterโ€™s degree in politics and history of the 20th century from the University of Jena. Mikheil Sarjveladze studied German Language/Literature and Social Sciences at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and University of GieรŸen. He gained professional experience at the Universities of Jena and Cologne, the German Bundestag, the South Caucasus Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Embassy of Georgia to the Federal Republic of Germany.

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Publish Date:
2025-03-11 12:50:33
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Despite the changed consensus among EU member states, including Germany, on Georgiaโ€™s EU membership after March 2022 and the European Councilโ€™s decision to grant Georgia EU candidate status in 2023, the Georgian Dream government has failed to seize the momentum created by the Russian war against Ukraine. Instead of leveraging its historically strong ties with Germany to forge a strategic partnership, it has actively undermined bilateral relations.

The deliberate sabotage of Georgiaโ€™s relations with Germany by Georgian Dream serves as a compelling case study of its paradoxical behavior. This dynamic is particularly evident in the partyโ€™s decision to undermine Georgiaโ€™s EU integration prospects rather than capitalize on a historic opportunity. This downgrade of bilateral relations was part of a broader strategy aimed at two key objectives: consolidating authoritarian control domestically and realigning Georgiaโ€™s foreign policy in response to the war in Ukraine. By framing this shift as a necessary course correction, Georgian Dream sought to justify its radical transformation of both domestic governance and international positioning while creating a scapegoat for the public. Germanyโ€™s proactive support for Georgiaโ€™s democratization and europeanization agenda inadvertently provided Georgian Dream with a convenient target.

Through a campaign of defamation against high-ranking German officials and diplomats, the ruling party not only weaponized anti-European rhetoric for electoral gains, but also severed ties with the EUโ€™s most influential member state, portraying it as part of an alleged conspiracy against Georgia. This policy memo analyzes the motives and mechanisms behind Georgian Dreamโ€™s deliberate efforts to sabotage relations with Germany, shedding light on the broader implications for Georgiaโ€™s political trajectory and EU aspirations.

Policy Brief #79 | March 2025

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Mikheil Sarjveladze

Mikheil Sarjveladze is a visiting scholar at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). At SWP he researches the foreign policy of the South Caucasian countries in the context of the disintegration of the post-Soviet space. Mikheil Sarjveladze holds a PhD in political science from the University of Cologne and a Masterโ€™s degree in politics and history of the 20th century from the University of Jena. Mikheil Sarjveladze studied German Language/Literature and Social Sciences at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and University of GieรŸen. He gained professional experience at the Universities of Jena and Cologne, the German Bundestag, the South Caucasus Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Embassy of Georgia to the Federal Republic of Germany.