On October 5, in an interview with TV Pirveli, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili discussed her recent visits to Europe, the upcoming elections, the role of public servants, and the emigrant vote, while expressing concern over Georgia’s political direction.

Zourabichvili emphasized that European leaders assured her the EU is still open to Georgia, with the "window of opportunity" due to the Ukraine crisis still available. She highlighted the goal of resuming EU integration, hoping that accession negotiations would begin in June 2025, and underscored the support of the Polish President, who will chair the European Council next year.

She criticized the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s campaign, comparing its promises of EU integration to the Soviet Union’s claims of democracy. Zourabichvili accused GD of mirroring Russian tactics, noting that Western leaders often ask her when this shift towards Moscow began. However, she admitted not knowing when GD started “dancing to Moscow’s tune.”

Discussing her meeting with US Special Advisor Michael Carpenter, Zourabichvili suggested the US is refraining from imposing sanctions on GD founder Bidzina Ivanishvili to avoid accusations of meddling in Georgia’s internal politics. She warned, however, that continued actions by GD could lead to sanctions, citing the bipartisan "Megobari Act" as proof of consistent US support for the Georgian people.

When asked about communicating Western messages to Ivanishvili, Zourabichvili mentioned their last conversation was in June 2022, when Ivanishvili had shown no interest in further discussion. Regarding safety guarantees for Ivanishvili after the elections, she expressed uncertainty about the timing.

On the future government, Zourabichvili revealed she has a strong non-political candidate for Prime Minister and will announce it after consulting with opposition parties. She envisions a government focused solely on EU integration, with civil servants playing a key role in achieving this goal, while urging them to shed party loyalties.

At an October 7 briefing at the Orbeliani Palace, Zourabichvili called on Georgian citizens, including expatriates, to mobilize for the October elections. She announced the creation of a Coordination Platform to monitor election day and emphasized the importance of the vote in Georgia’s history. Encouraging high voter turnout, she urged citizens to help defeat electoral fraud and called on government bodies to ensure registered voters could cast their ballots. She praised the diaspora’s efforts in registering to vote and highlighted the need for every vote to secure Georgia’s European future.