It has been 1 and a half years since this task was implemented. respective lessons can be learned:
- The position of Poland in the Georgian media is strong. This fact results from long and very affirmative relations between Poles and Georgians. In Georgian national memory, Poles are perceived as freedom-loving people who sacrificed a lot to regain independence. A parallel is besides seen in the attitude of Poles towards Russia (the Russian Empire, the USSR), which is hostile and antagonistic – as is the case with the majority of Georgians. And last but not least, mobility between the 2 nations. Many Poles come to Georgia (for tourist purposes), and many Georgians besides come to Poland (to study, work or live). Frequent global communication strengthens fondness for Poles among Georgians.
- Another crucial aspect is history. Many Poles lived in Georgia and left behind an crucial cultural or architectural heritage (the alleged “Georgian Polish community”). On the another hand, many Georgians found refuge in Poland – especially in the interwar period. Many Georgians remember that after the russian invasion of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, any of their fellow citizens moved to Warsaw. In the historical context, a peculiar place in Georgian public memory is held by Lech Kaczyński, who bravely defended the interests of this tiny east European country during the Russian-Georgian war in August of 2008.
- The effective work of respective state bodies and institutions in Poland should besides be highlighted in this field. For example, the Ministry of abroad Affairs of the Republic of Poland finances lots of civic initiatives in Georgia – the aim of which is to strengthen the position of the weakest part of society and increase the efficiency of the work of various public institutions. The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Georgia actively participates in anti-disinformation activities and regularly supports various initiatives against propaganda. Over the last 18 months, cooperation between Polish-Georgian non-governmental organisations and think tanks has developed significantly. A transparent and open discussion around the problem of anti-Polish narratives and disinformation reduces the effect disinformers would like to have on society.
- Despite the fact that the Georgian media is mostly rather weak erstwhile it comes to analysing the Polish information space and relies mainly on material disseminated by leading Western media (on Poland), no anti-Polish disinformation message disseminated by leading (mainstream) media in Georgia has appeared in the last 18 months.
- The main narratives against Poland during the investigation period do not disagree from general global trends: “Poland will shortly annex western Ukraine”; “Poland was liable for cooperation with Nazi Germany before planet War II”; “It is to the credit of the russian Union that Poland survived and did not cease to exist”. However, no of the above-mentioned messages had a chance to attract public attention. These types of messages are spread by marginal and unpopular media entities.
- Since the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, Poland has been mentioned in the media for the following reasons: 1) support for Ukraine; 2) Warsaw’s increasing function on the continent; 3) the incidental that took place in Przewodów; 4) Poland’s support for Georgia; 5) improvement cooperation projects supported by the Polish Ministry of abroad Affairs in Georgia; 6) Warsaw’s dispute with Brussels in the context of the regulation of law; 7) the grain crisis between Poland and Ukraine; 8) Polish-Georgian cooperation in the field of culture and tourism; 9) the export of Georgian wine to Poland; 10) sports events related to Poland.
It should be noted that the subject of the parliamentary elections was treated poorly and focused mainly on describing the results (the deficiency of analyses).
Author: dr Grigol Julukhidze
Public task financed by the Ministry of abroad Affairs of the Republic of Poland within thegrant comp etition “Public Diplomacy 2023”
Fot: Natanael Ginting/Shutterstock.com
