Author: Nino Chanadiri
The pre-parliamentary election period in Georgia, coming ahead of the October 26 elections, has been characterized by intense disinformation of a somewhat unique character that has awakened associations with the Soviet, totalitarian past. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine began, members of the ruling Georgian Dream party have repeatedly voiced the notion of a “global war party” in their narrative regarding the war. This concept has been further developed and established within the rhetoric of key political figures, and is now being actively applied in the context of the upcoming elections. The West labels it disinformation and a conspiracy theory. According the narrative, the aim of this “global war party” is to 1) stretch out the timeline of the war in Ukraine, and 2) expand the frontline to other countries, including Georgia, thereby “dragging Georgia into the war”.
The “global war party” narrative has a particularly anti-Western character. Even though, according to the ruling party, the narrative does not specifically refer to the United States or European Union, but rather “powers” that have “principle influence” on politicians and institutions in the West, the government’s repetitive use of the term is significantly damaging to Georgia’s relations with its Western partners. Representatives of the ruling party suggest that there is a significant likelihood that the influences of these powers extend to individuals from partner countries engaged in work related to Georgia. Western leaders, however, suggest that the narrative likely has Russian origins and counter that there is only one war party, and that it is in Moscow.
The questions arise: what is behind this narrative and what is the connection between it and the security challenges facing Georgia?
What is behind the narrative?
Using conspiracy theories to influence society, instill fear and create polarization, is a well-established practice that was successfully employed by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Today, it is directly linked to the well-known strategies used by Russian security forces and actively promoted by the Russian government. This approach revolves around creating false narratives and disseminating them to shape public opinion, both domestically and internationally. In Russia, similar conspiracy theories are predominantly anti-Western in nature and aim to portray the collective West as a threat to Russia.
This practice was actively employed by the Soviet Union, which portrayed itself as an island of peace, surrounded by hostile enemies’ intent on attacking, while it claimed to be striving to preserve that peace.
Source: Soviet Visuals
Russia has continued this tradition and still actively promotes the narrative that the West is orchestrating provocations and conspiracies against it, leaving it no choice but to defend itself. This narrative is often spread beyond the country by pro-Russian propagandists of different type and rank, as well as by social media channels.
During the pre-election period in Georgia, pro-government posters have appeared on the streets. One side features images of the war in Ukraine, depicting it as the work of the powers that the ruling party associates with the “global war party”; the other side showcases photos of Georgia, suggesting that ruling party stands against war, and that it alone has the ability to maintain peace in the country amid the global threats. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a statement condemning the posters, while the president of Georgia directly highlighted the Russian origins of this narrative. These posters are a clear example of the propaganda reminiscent of Soviet-era tactics, inspired by conspiracy theories; only this time, in the center of the message, is the “global war party” and its alleged activities.
Several aims can be seen behind the “global war party” narrative:
- Consolidating part of society in favor of the particular political power by spreading fear and portraying the ruling party as the only guarantor of peace, telling the society that it will not allow war to happen in the country. While portraying their political opponents as being governed by a dangerous global power that seeks to increase skepticism towards them.
- An attempt to shift attention from real societal problems and a lack of appropriate ways to target these problems through instrumentalizing societal traumas, leading to manipulation of the traumatic experiences of society for the sake of political interests.
- Shifting attention from the perpetrator in the war –from Russia, to the West – in the eyes of society, bolstering the claim that certain global powers, and agents under the influence of these powers, dragged Ukraine into a war against Russia, prior to that having done the same in Georgia.
- Strengthening anti-Western attitudes. This can be seen in statements that include the “global war party” narrative that posit the collective West as being a negative actor working against the national interests of Georgia and the Georgian identity, and interfering in its internal affairs.
The content of the narrative and the method of its use evoke parallels with the practices of fighting against mythical enemies as seen in the Soviet past. These parallels indicate that, despite the apparent novelty of the narrative, it has, in fact, been borrowed from Soviet and then Russian practice. It was first employed during the Cold War to create an image of the West as the enemy of the Soviet Union, and was later applied to the modern West by Russia. The widespread use of a Russian-style narrative, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine and before the parliamentary elections in Georgia, points to several challenges that Georgia is currently facing.
What is the connection between this narrative and the security challenges facing Georgia?
The vulnerability of Georgia, and not only Georgia, to Russian hybrid war tactics is a topic of wide discussion. The activation of disinformation and propaganda mechanisms by various actors is a pressing issue in Georgia and other Eastern European countries, particularly in light of their growing aspirations towards Europe in these societies. It is important to note that disinformation from Georgia regarding Russia is often propagated by government actors, underscoring the varying extent of the issue and amplifying the security threats facing Georgia today.
One of the biggest challenges state is facing is the risk of public opinion being swayed, harming the country’s domestic and foreign strategic interests. Unfortunately, this issue receives little attention from state agencies, and, indeed, the rhetoric of the ruling party is even supportive of it – an important prerequisite for the deepening of hybrid threats. Against the background of Russia’s traditional opposition to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, the attempt to deepen anti-Western sentiments in society based on conspiracy theories can be considered a direct manifestation of hybrid warfare. Portraying the European Union and other Western partners as ruled by the so called “global war party,” alongside constant circulation of conspiracy theories, when one of the prerequisites for EU integration is fighting disinformation targeting the EU and its values, further damages the potential of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. The latter is key for the security of the state and the preservation of sovereignty. Georgia, if isolated from the West, risks increased dependence on Russia, leading to even greater threats to its security and sovereignty. In this context, it can be said that this specific narrative transcends mere pre-election political rivalry and shifts to a dimension that is harmful to the interests of the state.
Conclusion
The “global war party” narrative, which is strongly anti-Western in nature, bears the character of similar conspiracy theories seen in the Soviet past, which Russia successfully reintroduced and now uses in its domestic and foreign policies through hybrid warfare tactics. Against the background of the war in Ukraine and the elections in Georgia, the attempt to establish the mentioned narrative is related not only to the spreading of fear in society and discrediting of political opponents, but also to strengthening skepticism towards the West. While Georgia strives for Euro integration, such narratives significantly damage the country’s relations with its partners and poses a threat to the Euro-Atlantic integration perspective. This increases the chance of Georgia’s growing dependence on Russia, and deepens the security threats the country faces, demonstrating that the mentioned narrative serves only the interests of Russian hybrid warfare in Georgia, and indeed damages the county’s state interests.