Protests Erupt in Georgia After EU Accession Delay
Protests broke out in Georgia last Thursday following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze‘s announcement that the country would not pursue European Union membership until 2028, claiming that Brussels was engaging in “blackmail.”
The announcement came shortly after the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that dismissed the results of Georgia’s parliamentary elections held on October 26, pointing to “significant irregularities.” The resolution urged new elections within the year, supervised by international observers, and called for sanctions against top officials, including Kobakhidze.
Kobakhidze labeled the actions of the European Parliament and various European political figures as “blackmail,” stating, “We have decided to refrain from discussing EU accession until the end of 2028.” He also emphasized the government’s commitment to ongoing reforms, claiming that by 2028, Georgia would be better prepared than any other candidate country to start accession talks with Brussels and aim for EU membership by 2030.
In reaction to Kobakhidze’s decision to delay the EU bid, six Georgian ambassadors have resigned, including those heading the missions to the US, Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and the Deputy Foreign Minister Teimuraz Dzhandzhalia.
Georgia was officially granted EU candidate status in December 2023. However, in July of this year, the EU halted the accession process, stating that Tbilisi needed to make tangible progress in addressing what it termed as democratic backsliding.
Opposition lawmakers are currently boycotting the new parliament, alleging electoral fraud in the elections that granted a new majority to the ruling Georgian Dream party. Pro-EU President Salome Zourabichvili, who is at odds with the Georgian Dream, decried the election as “unconstitutional” and is seeking to invalidate the results via the Constitutional Court.
Critics have accused the Georgian Dream party of aligning more closely with Moscow, despite widespread anti-Russian sentiment within Georgian society. Polls indicate that approximately 80% of Georgians support EU membership and wish to distance themselves from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Since 2022, the Georgian Dream party has proposed legislation resembling Russian laws that target civil society and independent media and restrict LGBTQ rights.
Following nearly a week of protests, the government announced on Wednesday it would facilitate public debates on television with representatives from both the government and opposition regarding the ongoing institutional crisis stemming from the October 26 elections.
Around 300 Arrests Amid Protests
Kobakhidze’s declaration sparked protests in Tbilisi and other major cities such as Batumi, Kutaisi, and Gori. Demonstrators waved EU and Georgian flags, blocking streets and erecting barricades on Tbilisi’s main avenue.
Police in riot gear responded with rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse protesters who were throwing fireworks, with flames visible from the parliament building.
One protester told AFP, “Georgian Dream didn’t win the elections; it staged a coup. There is no legitimate parliament or government in Georgia.” Another stated, “We will not allow this self-proclaimed prime minister to destroy our European future.”
Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia of the Akhali party was reportedly beaten and arrested during a police raid on the offices of the opposition party, Droa. The independent Pirveli TV also reported the arrests of two other opposition leaders, Alexandre Elisashvili and Zurab Datunashvili, during a scuffle with plainclothes security agents.
To date, approximately 300 people have been detained, with numerous injuries reported among both protesters and police during clashes outside the parliament in central Tbilisi.
EU Support for Georgian People
In a statement, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed regret over the government’s decision to veer away from EU values, reaffirming the EU’s support for the people of Georgia and their desire for a European future.
She stated, “The door to the EU remains open. The return of Georgia on the EU path is in the hands of the Georgian leadership.”
European Council President António Costa condemned the violence against peaceful protesters, while the EU’s new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned the Georgian authorities against using violence against demonstrators, asserting that such actions would affect relations between Georgia and the EU.
International Reactions
France called for respect for the right to peaceful protest, emphasizing support for Georgia’s European aspirations. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over reports of repression against demonstrators and journalists.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also condemned violence against protesters in a conversation with Zourabichvili, while Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel expressed his worries regarding the political turmoil in
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