Traditionally Russia uses far right organizations to achieve its own goals in other states. These parties and organizations’ activity in Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Great Britain, Germany and other countries are bright examples here. The latest project with involvement of far right organizations has been designed for Georgia.
As a rule, right-wing radicals act destructively and wield major influence on the internal balance of political forces and, if required, at the right time for the Kremlin can destabilize the situation. Moreover, such organizations and political forces usually have a combat unit to turn up the heat on opponents physically. Now the Kremlin intends to use the same tactic maneuver in Georgia. Earlier, lansinginstitute.org analysts reported about the paramilitary training of German right-wing extremists in Russia.
In July 2020, Georgian ultranationalists created their own party ‘Georgian March – National Movement’ based on the far right Georgian March movement and the right-wing movement ‘Georgia’ that joined with the Georgian March. The party was specifically created for the fall parliamentary elections to be held under the new electoral system. Among other things, the new electoral system involves decreasing the electoral barrier to 1%. Thisnew aspect willallow the ultranationalists to have parliamentary representation.
Sandro Bregadze, the leader of the Georgian March, was selected as the Secretary General. The Georgian March movement was created in 2016. The movement is known for anti-LGBT propaganda; it speaks out against liberal, pro-Western ideas and opinion leaders, as well as migrants who are consonant with Russian narratives.
Bregadze, ties with Russia (through the Primakov Georgian–Russian Public Center), as well as with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the Georgian Dream party. Despite he denies all these ties the actions of the Georgian March are undoubtedly playing directly into Russia. The Georgian March was mentioned in the 2019 Estonian intelligence report. As the document says some leaders of the Georgian March are linked to Russia and the activity of the latter on influencing the population of Georgia. In May 2018, human rights advocates from the Georgian branch of the international organization ‘Transparency International’ published a report entitled ‘The Anatomy of Georgian Neo-Nazism’ informing about the relationship of individual far right leaders with Russian or pro-Russian political organizations. Moreover, the document reports about Bregadze’s criminal background.
As for the new party, Russia can set the following goals:
1. Performing frequent information actions and military incidents against liberal values, pan-European and Euro-Atlantic parties, as well as against the LGBT community and NATO. All these actions are supposed to create a negative image of Georgia worldwide. In turn, it will make the tourist flow from the EU and other Western countries down and hit Georgia’s economy by making it more vulnerable. Moreover, the strategy is aimed at worsening relations between Georgia and the Western world.
2. Pursuing an active policy to worsen Georgia and its closest neighbors’ relations. In this context, Azerbaijan and Turkey are considered to be major targets. In turn, it will strengthen Russia’s influence in political and economic spheres. Military incidents and statements against ethnic minorities and migrants, as well as fueling the David-Gareja Monastery conflict, will play the first tune to achieve this goal.
The 2018 State Security Service of Georgia report set out for the first time, the major objectives of ‘foreign intelligence services’ in Georgia:
- to encourage anti-Western sentiments in Georgian society;
- to damage Georgia’s image as a reliable partner at an international level;
- to stimulate distrust, uncertainty, hopelessness and nihilism in society;
- to create the grounds for destabilization on ethnic and religious grounds, with the aim to cultivate disintegration processes throughout the country and to promote the polarization of Georgian society.
The implementation of the mentioned scenario does not require a significant parliamentary representation. A few deputies will make the party considered as information weighed and significant. The main destructive activity will be carried out by the combat unit. Therefore, since this year’s fall one can predict increasing the level of conflicts in Georgia and attempts to destabilize the situation based on ethnic hatred incitement.
