TBILISI, August 4 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused opposition politicians and activists of using “Russophobia” as a political tool, triggering a sharp backlash just days before the anniversary of the 2008 war with Russia.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Kobakhidze argued that many of today’s most vocal anti-Russian figures had supported Russian tourism, investment and cultural ties after the August 2008 war.
He said the previous United National Movement government had encouraged Russian visitors and capital even after Moscow recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia were broken.
Kobakhidze claimed that opposition groups adopted a much harsher anti-Russian stance only after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He described that shift as politically directed and accused opposition parties, NGOs and activists of serving foreign interests.
Senior Georgian Dream figures backed the prime minister. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and Deputy Parliament Speaker Nino Tsilosani repeated the argument that opposition politicians had welcomed Russian tourists and money after 2008 but changed their position after the war in Ukraine.
Opposition leaders rejected the charge and accused Kobakhidze of diverting attention from Russia’s occupation of Georgian territory.
Irakli Pavlenishvili of the United National Movement (UNM) said the former government’s policy of accepting Russian tourists was intended to show that Georgia opposed occupation rather than Russian people as an ethnic group.
Giorgi Sharashidze of the For Georgia party said the government should focus on current Russian moves involving the occupied Tskhinvali region instead of debating how former officials treated tourists after the 2008 war.
Other opposition figures used stronger language. Nika Gvaramia called the prime minister’s statement pro-Russian, while Grigol Gegelia accused Kobakhidze of repeating narratives favorable to Moscow. Gegelia’s comments were published later on Tuesday evening.
Analyst Vakhtang Dzabiradze told Rezonansi that both the government and opposition use the label “Russophobe” for political purposes. Petre Mamradze, however, supported Kobakhidze’s criticism and accused opposition figures of changing their position according to political advantage.
