Pro-European protests in the South Caucasus republic of Georgia against the national conservative ruling party Georgian Dream have increasingly been characterized by violent unrest in the capital, Tbilisi.
Protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and the country's other major cities were against the government's course on exiting the European Union. Last Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Kobachidze shelved EU accession negotiations until 2028.
A masked man throws stones in the capital Tbilisi.Image: trapezoid
The Interior Ministry reported that more than 200 people had been arrested in the past few days. More protests are expected. Georgia's accession to the EU is enshrined in its constitution. Criticism of the move no longer just comes from the streets.
According to media reports, staff from the foreign, defense and education ministries, as well as some judges, distanced themselves from the government's decision in various statements.
University operations are temporarily suspended. Georgia’s ambassadors to Bulgaria and the Netherlands have submitted their resignations.
Foreign countries are paying attention to the South Caucasus Republic
There were also strong reactions abroad. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agreed to impose national sanctions on the Georgian leader, the foreign minister announced verbatim on the X platform.
Therefore, punitive measures should be targeted against those who suppress legitimate protests.
The United States has temporarily suspended its strategic partnership with the South Caucasus republics. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision to suspend the EU accession process was a “betrayal of Georgia's constitution.”
In a statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed regret at the government's decision to oppose the EU and its values. She also wrote over the weekend that the EU remained supportive of the Georgians and their decision on Europe's future.
Russia compared to Ukraine
Russia is also watching the protests in its smaller neighbor. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We have seen similar incidents in many countries.” Russia has repeatedly accused the West of launching so-called color revolutions in the post-Soviet era.
“The most direct similarity is what happened in Ukraine's Independence Square,” Peskov said, according to Russian agencies. At that time, Kiev people demonstrated in Independence Square in support of the country's EU line and ultimately overthrew the pro-Russian President Yanukovych.
Allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections
In a parliamentary election in late October that was clouded by accusations of fraud, the electoral commission declared the ruling Georgian Dream party the winner with about 54% of the vote. This has sparked protests against the official results.
The pro-Western opposition and pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili do not recognize the results and have called for new elections. The opposition does not want to accept their mandate and will not enter parliament.
The legitimacy of the parliament is in dispute due to a pending case filed by Zurabishvili with the Constitutional Court. The Georgian Dream is currently being held there without opposition. (DAB/hkl/sda/dpa)
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