Georgia in Turmoil: Protests Erupt Over Suspended EU Negotiations
Protesters took to the streets in Georgia for a third consecutive night on Saturday, voicing their opposition to the government’s decision to halt negotiations aimed at joining the European Union. Demonstrations erupted across various cities, including the capital Tbilisi, where clashes with police led to the arrest of more than 100 individuals, according to the country's Interior Ministry.
Eyewitness accounts described a chaotic scene where demonstrators were chased and physically confronted by law enforcement officials. The situation escalated further as police employed heavy tactics, including the use of water cannons, to disperse crowds gathered outside the Parliament building along the central Rustaveli Avenue.
The unrest follows the ruling Georgian Dream party's contested victory in the parliamentary elections held on October 26. Reacting to claims that the elections were manipulated with backing from Russia—Georgia’s former imperial overseer—opposition parties have called for a boycott of parliament sessions. Leaders from the opposition have voiced their concerns over the legitimacy of the elections, emphasizing that they were marked by irregularities, including bribery and violence.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has harshly criticized the current government’s direction, asserting that the nation is becoming increasingly resemble a 'quasi-Russian state'. During discussions with The Associated Press, she stated that independent institutions, such as the courts and the Central Bank, have been eroded under the control of the ruling party, leading to a scenario devoid of democratic practices.
Zourabichvili countered Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's portrayal of the protests as violent by insisting that the public is seeking only new elections that reflect the true will of the people. Zourabichvili asserted that the country has a history of resisting Russian influence and will not accept a disenfranchisement of its populace’s votes.
The catalyst for this wave of protests was the government’s announcement to suspend EU negotiations mere hours after a European Parliament resolution condemned the recent parliamentary elections, describing them as neither free nor fair. The legislation recently passed in parliament, deemed a significant impediment to democratic freedoms, has led to cuts in EU financial support to Georgia.
European lawmakers have called for a rerun of the parliamentary elections within a year, urging that such a process be conducted under international supervision and with a transparent electoral system. In retaliation, Prime Minister Kobakhidze labeled the EU's response as an unjust attack, accusing it of weaponizing political discourse against Georgia and announcing that the nation would decline any EU budgetary grants until 2028.
Critics of the Georgian Dream party, founded by the enigmatic billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, accuse it of consolidating authoritarian power and fostering closer ties with Moscow. Policies reminiscent of those in Russia regarding curbing freedom of speech and restricting LGBTQ rights have drawn significant domestic and international backlash.
As the protests continue, Georgia finds itself at a crucial juncture—struggling between aspirations for European integration and the looming shadow of Russian influence, with its citizens demanding a return to democratic processes.
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