Elevating Georgia's Voice on European Future

At the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), dialogue is more than an academic exercise—it is a commitment to confronting the pressing issues that shape our world. This week, PSIA reaffirmed that mission by hosting Salomé Zourabichvili, the 5th President of Georgia, whose powerful intervention underscored the stakes of Europe’s credibility, democracy, and security in the face of hybrid warfare.

President Zourabichvili’s remarks resonated deeply with PSIA’s diverse community of students and faculty. She reminded the audience that Georgia’s path to Europe is not only about national sovereignty but about the integrity of the European project itself. From the abolition of anti-corruption institutions to the manipulation of elections, she painted a sobering picture of democratic backsliding and external interference. Her warning was clear: Europe cannot remain passive when candidate countries face destabilisation, lest it undermine its own foreign policy commitments.

For PSIA, this conversation exemplifies its role as a forum where global challenges are analyzed with rigor and urgency. Students from Lithuania, Ukraine, Germany, France, Romania, and beyond engaged directly with President Zourabichvili, reflecting the school’s ethos of building a truly international community. Their questions highlighted both solidarity and curiosity, bridging perspectives across continents.

The speech also illuminated broader themes central to PSIA’s mission:

• Democracy under pressure: How hybrid strategies—propaganda, manipulation of diasporas, and electoral interference—threaten fragile institutions.
• European responsibility: Why enlargement fatigue must not obscure the strategic importance of countries like Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
• Resilience of civil society: The enduring strength of Georgian citizens who continue to resist authoritarian pressures, offering hope for institutional renewal.

Equally symbolic was the setting: Sciences Po is not only the President’s intellectual home (Sciences Po, 1972), but also the institution that helped shape her trajectory. As a graduate, President Zourabichvili embodies Sciences Po’s trademark of training leaders who go on to influence the course of nations. Her return to Sciences Po was both personal and emblematic—an affirmation that the University’s mission to educate globally minded leaders is inseparable from the challenges they later confront on the world stage.

By hosting voices like President Zourabichvili’s, PSIA demonstrates its commitment to preparing students not only to understand international affairs but to act upon them. The school provides a platform where urgent debates—whether on European integration, Russian aggression, or the future of democracy—are confronted head-on, equipping the next generation of leaders with the insight and courage to respond.

As President Zourabichvili concluded, “Nothing is irreversible. You have to fight for it.” At PSIA, that fight begins with knowledge, dialogue, and the conviction that international education must serve as a bulwark against indifference.

Watch the full replay of the 60 minutes with President Zourabichvili.

Watch the interview of President Zourabichvili by Sciences Po Alumni.