Thousands demonstrate after Georgia’s rejection of the EU

South Caucasus Republic

Thousands demonstrate after Georgia’s rejection of the EU

There have been demonstrations against the ruling party in Georgia for months. Now the leadership is cutting the thread of talks with Brussels. The situation in the capital Tbilisi is tense.

The Georgian leadership’s rejection of accession talks with the EU has sparked protests in the South Caucasus republic. In the capital Tbilisi, several thousand people gathered in the center of the parliament building until late Thursday evening. A large contingent of armed police sealed off official buildings. After midnight (local time), security forces used pepper spray and water cannons. According to television reports, there were several injured and arrests.

President Salome Zurabishvili joined the protest. She appealed to the security forces not to take action against the demonstrators. At the same time, she called for a repeat of the parliamentary election at the end of October, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud. A victory for the ruling Georgian Dream party has been officially declared.

Pro-European rallies with hundreds of participants were also reported in the major Georgian cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori and Zugdidi.

In the afternoon, national-conservative Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze declared the accession process stopped. Georgia will not negotiate accession with Brussels before the end of 2028 and will not accept any budget subsidies from the EU until then. He viewed EU criticism of Georgian Dream’s increasingly authoritarian course as inappropriate pressure on his country.

The former Soviet republic of Georgia, together with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, received EU candidate status in December 2023. However, the relationship has deteriorated rapidly because the governing party is increasingly critical of Europe and wants to limit alleged foreign influence in the country.

The desired control over civil society is similar to the methods in Russia. Brussels has therefore also put the rapprochement on hold. The opposition wants to stick to the European course. She accuses the government of claiming that her election victory was only achieved through manipulation.