Some 80 percent of Georgians want to join the EU, but the government seems to fear that membership could undermine its grip on power.
Last November, thousands of Georgians marched through their capital, Tbilisi, waving EU flags to celebrate their country’s having finally become a candidate to join the European Union.
Now, not six months on, they’re hitting the streets of Tbilisi again, this time to protest what they fear is a scheme to thwart their European ambitions — one hatched by their own government.
“I am even angrier today than I was last year,” said Nana Malashkhia, a civil servant who gained worldwide fame last year by waving an EU flag while being blasted by water cannon.
“I’m ready to do what it takes; there’s no turning back. The fate of this country hangs in the balance — either we return to the Russian orbit or continue on the track to European integration. I am ready.”
What reignited the protest movement was a controversial new bill — reminiscent of Russian legislation — introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party this week. The measure would force NGOs, think tanks, media outlets and campaign groups that receive funding from abroad to declare themselves as “foreign agents.”
I don’t have a problem with (or a say in) Georgia joining the EU but I worry that adopting the Euro will at some point harm smaller countries, especially those on the periphery. I don’t think Georgia is one but there are inherent trade-offs when you outsource your monetary policy to another country.
The U.S. dollar is used in a lot of places and the Federal Reserve does not take them into account at all. Often it’s used for stability reasons. But just as often, it can cause major hardship when there’s a recession or imbalance somewhere.
Politically, I think (or maybe assume) it’s good but from an economics standpoint, there’s a point when currency unions can be too large and it hurts the periphery. It might suck to have your currency weaken but it sucks more to adjust to the new reality the hard way (mass unemployment, usually). But hyperinflation sucks the most and more than 1 country should outsource their central bank and adopt a major currency.