Strong Georgia

File:Strong Georgia.jpg (top left), Ana Dolidze (top right), Aleko Elisashvili (bottom left), and Levan Tsutskiridze (bottom right)]]

On July 17, 2024, three opposition groups — Mamuka Khazaradze's Lelo for Georgia, Ana Dolidze's For the People, and the newly launched Freedom Square movement — announced their alliance ahead of the October Parliamentary elections. Khazaradze described the choice in the upcoming election as between occupation and entering "the free world". Dolidze emphasized the diversity of the group and their different ideologies, positively comparing it to "Georgian polyphonic music".{{Cite web |date=17 July 2024 |title=ლელო, ანა დოლიძის პარტია და მოძრაობა თავისუფლების მოედანი საარჩევნოდ გაერთიანდნენ |url=https://tabula.ge/ge/news/720544-lelo-ana-dolidzis-partia-modzraoba-tavisuplebis |website=Tabula |language=Georgian}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-17 |title=Three More Opposition Groups Join Forces Ahead of Crucial Elections |url=https://civil.ge/archives/616646 |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Civil Georgia |language=en-US}}

Since formal electoral blocs were banned, the coalition decided to run its candidates on the party list of Lelo. Lelo was later renamed to 'Strong Georgia: Lelo, For the People, For Freedom!'. On 13 August, Citizens was the fourth and the last subject to join the alliance.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/620160/amp |title=Aleko Elisashvili of "Citizens" Joins Coalition "Strong Georgia" |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=17 August 2024 }} The parties in the coalition are signatories to the Georgian Charter initiated by the president Salome Zourabichvili with the aim of uniting the pro-Western opposition parties and setting out goals for a possible future government.{{cite web |date=3 June 2024 |title=Opposition Parties Sign Georgian Charter |url=https://civil.ge/archives/611114 |publisher=Civil Georgia}}

At a special briefing on 16 September, Zourabichvili called for the creation of a "positive, third centre" to provide opposition-leaning and undecided voters a clear choice that would not be affiliated with United National Movement. She expressed hope of uniting Strong Georgia and ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's For Georgia.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-16 |title=President Zurabishvili Announces Lelo-led Strong Georgia and Gakharia’s Party to Join Forces for Elections |url=https://civil.ge/archives/624481 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Civil Georgia |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=President calls on Mamuka Khazaradze, Giorgi Gakharia to unite their parties |url=https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/president-calls-on-mamuka-khazaradze-giorgi-gakharia-to-unite-their-parties/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Georgian Public Broadcaster |language=en-US}}

On 17 September, Khazaradze and Gakharia met at the President's Orbeliani Palace for negotiations. The following day, Khazaradze noted that while some technical issues remain, both he and Gakharia were united in their goal to remove the ruling Georgian Dream party from power.{{Cite web |title=Mamuka Khazaradze: Negotiations on electoral alliance with Gakharia's party not yet finalized |url=https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/mamuka-khazaradze-negotiations-on-electoral-alliance-with-gakharias-party-not-yet-finalized/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Georgian Public Broadcaster |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Gakharia on negotiations: Our position is clear; Khazaradze seeks more time to address key issues |url=https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/gakharia-on-negotiations-our-position-is-clear-khazaradze-seeks-more-time-to-address-key-issues/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Georgian Public Broadcaster |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=ხაზარაძე-გახარიას შეხვედრა პრეზიდენტთან |url=https://formulanews.ge/all_videos/%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%96%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%90%E1%83%AB%E1%83%94-%E1%83%92%E1%83%90%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%90%E1%83%A1-%E1%83%A8%E1%83%94%E1%83%AE%E1%83%95%E1%83%94%E1%83%93%E1%83%A0%E1%83%90-%E1%83%9E%E1%83%A0%E1%83%94%E1%83%96%E1%83%98%E1%83%93%E1%83%94%E1%83%9C%E1%83%A2%E1%83%97%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C/117113 |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=TV Formula |language=ka}} On September 19, For Georgia announced via Facebook that the negotiations had collapsed, citing internal disagreements within Strong Georgia.{{Cite web |title=For Georgia Announcement |url=https://www.facebook.com/share/i3KqC8pi8sfy3MEX/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=}} However, Khazaradze, refuted this claim, stating Strong Georgia was ready to sign the deal but was waiting for the President's invitation to finalize it. The reasons cited for the breakdown have been disagreements over equal representation on the joint electoral list and Gakharia's involvement in Gavrilov's Night protest crackdown.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-19 |title=Lelo-Led Strong Georgia, Gakharia’s For Georgia Fail to Agree on Election Alliance |url=https://civil.ge/archives/624874 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Civil Georgia |language=en-US}}

In the parliamentary election, the Strong Georgia bloc received almost 9% of the vote and was granted 9 seats, becoming third largest opposition faction in the Georgian parliament.{{cite web |url=https://www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/134432-among-the-5-parties-that-passed-the-threshold-148-mandates-were-distributed-with-the-so-called-real-votes-and-2-undistributed-mandates-were-shared-by-georgian-dream-with-the-best-result-and-gvaramia-melia-coalition|title=Among the 5 parties that passed the threshold, 148 mandates were distributed with the so-called real votes, and 2 undistributed mandates were shared by "Georgian Dream" with the best result and Gvaramia-Melia coalition|publisher=Interpressnews|date=29 October 2024 }}

On March 8, 2025, the Freedom Square political movement officially became a political party, formally leaving the electoral coalition to continue its development as an independent political force.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-09 |title="Freedom Square" Movement Becomes Political Party |url=https://civil.ge/archives/668120 |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=Civil Georgia |language=en-US}}

Strong Georgia is generally described as a centre to centre-left coalition,{{cite web |url=https://europeelects.eu/2024/10/24/will-georgia-flip-a-high-stakes-election-amidst-political-polarisation/ |title=Will Georgia Flip? A High-Stakes Election Amidst Political Polarisation |publisher=Europe Elects |author=Jan Jakob Langer |date=24 October 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://politpro.eu/en/georgia/parties |title=Georgia: Political parties at a glance |publisher=PolitPro }}{{cite web |url=https://www.macaubusiness.com/the-opposition-groups-hoping-to-take-over-in-georgia/ |title=The opposition groups hoping to take over in Georgia |publisher=Macau News Agency |date=22 October 2024 }} however, it has also been labeled big tent.{{cite web |url=https://theins.ru/en/politics/275084 |title=The hijacking of Europa. Cutting ties with EU, Georgia's ruling party sees its ratings plummet but remains ahead of opposition |publisher=The Insider |date=4 October 2024 |author=Olga Dmitrieva }} The coalition has been described liberal and social liberal.{{cite web |url=https://platformraam.nl/artikelen/2693-in-georgie-gaan-de-verkiezingen-over-de-democratie-zelf |title=In Georgia, elections are about democracy itself |publisher=Platform RAAM |date=21 October 2024 |author=Jelger Groeneveld }} The alliance also includes social democratic factions. Its election promises have been described as populist. The coalition is pro-European.

On 5 September 2024, the Strong Georgia coalition presented its election plan called "Ilia's way" to the public in Saguramo, in the vicinity of the Ilia Chavchavadze's statue. It promised to construct Anaklia deepwater port and create "200 thousand new jobs", although it did not specify what measures would be taken for this goal. Ana Dolidze presented a plan to increase average income and introduce a formal minimum wage, while Levan Tsutskiridze focused on education reform. The alliance promised to introduce a heavy gambling tax and use the increased budget funds to raise pensions.{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33108590.html|title= "ილიას გზა" - "ძლიერმა საქართველომ" საარჩევნო გეგმა წარადგინა |publisher= Radio Liberty |date=5 September 2024|language=ka}} The leader of the coalition Mamuka Khazaradze has expressed support for Georgian Dream's proposal to make the Georgian Orthodox Church a state religion in Georgia. Khazaradze stated that "Georgia does not and will not exist without the Georgian Orthodox Church".{{Cite web |date=1 September 2024 |title=ვემხრობით კონსტიტუციაში ეკლესიის როლის მკაფიოდ დაფიქსირებას - ხაზარაძე|url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/ხაზარაძე-კონსტიტუცია-ეკლესია/33101562.html|website=Radio Freedom}}

The coalition stated that it would introduce visa regime for Russian citizens in Georgia, restrict direct flights with Russia, and ban selling agricultural land to Russians. It promised greater attention to European Integration, vowing to establish a special ministry to push for Georgia's accession to the EU, increase trade with the bloc, and create greater opportunities for the youth to move to the European countries through student exchange programs.

• [https://dzlieri9.ge/ Website of Strong Georgia]

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{{Georgian political crisis}}

Category:Liberal parties in Georgia (country)

Category:Political party alliances in Georgia (country)

Category:Political parties established in 2024

Category:Pro-European political parties in Georgia (country)

Category:2024 establishments in Georgia (country)