The recent unrest in Georgia stems from a tumultuous Thursday night, during which police deployed water cannons, pepper spray, and tear gas to disperse crowds protesting against the government’s handling of the country’s EU aspirations. The demonstrations erupted following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that the ruling Georgian Dream party would suspend negotiations on EU membership.
President Salome Zourabichvili openly sided with the protesters, accusing the government of waging “war” against its own citizens. According to the interior ministry, 43 demonstrators were detained during the protests.
This decision to suspend EU accession talks came just hours after the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning last month’s election in Georgia as neither “free nor fair.” The resolution also called for a fresh election under international supervision, further fueling criticism of the Georgian government.
Tensions over EU membership have been escalating in Georgia. In late October, a European Commission progress report placed Georgia’s membership application on hold, citing unmet reform benchmarks. The October 26 parliamentary election added to the controversy, with opposition parties alleging widespread fraud, rejecting their seats in parliament, and demanding a rerun of the vote.
President Zourabichvili challenged the election results in the Constitutional Court, but the Georgian Dream party dismissed the appeal, approved parliamentary proceedings, and formed a government—ignoring constitutional norms, according to critics.
Despite being granted EU candidate status last December under conditions requiring substantial reforms, Georgia’s Moscow-leaning government has shown increasingly authoritarian tendencies. It has adopted measures such as a controversial Russian-inspired law and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, moves widely perceived as deliberate attempts to undermine the nation’s EU integration efforts.
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