How Wolfgang Herrmann gives Georgian authoritarianism a German shine

It's a familiar spectacle: When an authoritarian regime has lost all credibility among its own population, it seeks out foreign faces—professors, experts, "friends of Georgia"—to maintain the veneer of normality. In Georgia, this face today bears the name of Wolfgang Herrmann , a German academic who, with obvious joy, appears in front of the cameras of pro-government broadcasters to legitimize Bidzina Ivanishvili's oligarchic system.

Herrmann plays the role perfectly: He speaks calmly, educated, with a German accent and the aura of Western objectivity. But his words are nothing more than perfumed propaganda , wrapped in professorial titles. While students outside are being arrested for standing in the street, Herrmann raves about "stability," "progress," and "orderly development" in television studios.

The context: A country that silences critics

Just a few days before Herrmann made his latest media appearance, a diplomatic scandal erupted: German Ambassador Peter Fischer was summoned by the Georgian Foreign Ministry—officially to remind him of the Vienna Convention, but in reality to intimidate him. The Ivanishvili government is systematically attempting to discredit Western voices that point to corruption, abuse of power, and deficiencies in the rule of law. Fischer was not the target of a debate, but the victim of a show of force.

But while the democratic diplomats are reprimanded, Mr. Herrmann is allowed to be courted. The professor is allowed to speak because he says exactly what the regime wants to hear.

The network of purchased authority

Herrmann's close ties to Kutaisi International University (KIU) , which is largely funded by Ivanishvili's Cartu Foundation , are no coincidence. The university was founded in 2019 by special law, without any normal accreditation procedures, and has since served as the oligarch's prestigious flagship. Herrmann, formerly president of the Technical University of Munich, was installed there as "Honorary President"—a symbolic position that nonetheless has enormous political impact: It gives the regime the appearance of being legitimized by German universities and European experts.

Anyone familiar with recent history knows: This isn't the first case of such German-oligarchic liaisons . Former German ambassador Hubert Knirsch made headlines in 2021 when BILD newspaper exposed his proximity to the government and his wife's work at the same university. Transparency International cited "clear signs of a conflict of interest." Herrmann is therefore not an isolated case—he is a repetition of the same script with a new actor .

When a professor helps to bury the rule of law

While Herrmann publicly speaks of “innovation” and “German-Georgian friendship,” perhaps the most massive attack on democracy since the 1990s is taking place in Georgia.

The infamous Foreign Influence Transparency Law , which was sharply criticized by the Venice Commission , requires NGOs and media that receive their funding from abroad to register as “agents” – a law taken straight from Moscow’s handbook.

At the same time, Parliament has effectively abolished the right of assembly : Anyone participating in an unauthorized demonstration can be punished with arrest after the first "violation" and with imprisonment of up to one year after the second. Simply standing on the street is enough to be criminalized.

And as if that weren't enough, a draft law has been drafted that could ban political parties or disqualify candidates if they "endanger public order" or "promote foreign influence." In other words, any opposition will potentially be illegal in the future.

These aren't trivial matters. This is Georgia's systematic transformation into a legalistic authoritarianism , in which every form of oppression is covered by legal regulations.

Herrmann’s silence – a loud agreement

Has Wolfgang Herrmann ever criticized these developments? No. Has he publicly addressed the destruction of press freedom, the violence against demonstrators, or the criminalization of civil society? Not either.

He has n't said anything , and that's precisely why he's been invited. He speaks to keep quiet. His silence is useful because it creates trust—the audience's trust that if a German professor doesn't say anything critical, then there's probably nothing critical.

He is the fig leaf of power , the cultivated voice that masks the stench of oppression.

Between diplomacy and propaganda

The difference between Peter Fischer and Wolfgang Herrmann is the difference between integrity and opportunism. The former stands for democratic values, even if it means getting into trouble. The latter sells them out for media attention.

When Herrmann speaks about "development" on state television while students are being arrested outside for their opinions, he stands not for dialogue, but for delusion . His mere presence in this propaganda machine legitimizes a system that stifles a piece of freedom every day.

A man with a title but without attitude

Wolfgang Herrmann may believe he serves "science," "cooperation," or even the "future of Georgia." In reality, he serves an oligarch who sees democracy as a mere decoration. His smile in the camera is not an expression of friendship—it is the smile of a man who knows he is being used and has come to terms with it.

When one day the authoritarian transformation of Georgia is reviewed, two types of Germans will be remembered: those who opposed it – and those who went along with it. Wolfgang Herrmann will be in the second category.