Georgia Suspends EU Talks, Triggering Mass Protests and Arrests

Tbilisi (Eurotoday) – More than 100 demonstrators were arrested overnight in Georgia as protesters clashed with police following the government’s decision to discontinue negotiations to join the European Union.

Georgia has been witnessing protests sparked by the government’s decision to postpone European Union membership discussions amid a post-election crisis. Georgia has been rocked by unrest since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in an October 26 parliamentary election that the pro-EU opposition argued was fraudulent.

Georgia’s interior ministry stated that 107 people were arrested for “disobedience to lawful police orders and petty hooliganism. Throughout the night… protesters threw various objects, including stones, pyrotechnics, glass bottles, and metal items, at law enforcement officers,” it reported, adding that “10 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were wounded.”

How did PM Kobakhidze justify postponing EU talks?

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s assertion that Georgia will not seek to open accession talks with the European Union until 2028 ignited a furious reaction from the opposition and two days of demonstrations. He later blamed the opposition and the EU ambassador to Georgia for misinterpreting his words and insisted membership in the bloc “by 2030” remains his “top priority.”

What role did President Zourabichvili play in the protests?

Pro-EU Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili joined the protesters after blaming the government for declaring war on its people. In an address to the nation, she urged police not to use force against demonstrators. “This is evident in every way — no one is willing to accept a Russified Georgia, a Georgia deprived of its constitution, or a Georgia in the hands of an illegitimate government and parliament,” Zourabichvili declared.

How did the European Parliament react to Georgia’s recent election?

The government’s announcement that it was stopping negotiations to join the EU came hours after the European Parliament approved a resolution that criticised last month’s vote as neither free nor fair. It stated the election represented another example of Georgia’s continued democratic decline “for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible.”