Thousands of people took to the streets in protest against the Government’s decision to postpone EU accession negotiations to 2028. Bblocked traffic in front of the Parliament and the headquarters of the Georgian Dreamwaving EU and Georgian flags. After midnight, the riot police fired tear gas grenades at protesters.
Georgian police fired tear gas and water cannons this morning to try to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Government’s decision to postpone EU accession negotiations until 2028.
One month after the legislative elections won by the ruling Georgian Dream, with the opposition denouncing several irregularities, thousands of people gathered in Tbilisi and other cities in the country.
In the capital, protesters blocked traffic in front of the Parliament and the headquarters of the Georgian Dreamwaving EU and Georgian flags.
After midnight (local time), the riot police fired tear gas grenades at protestersnoted journalists from the France-Presse news agency at the scene.
Hooded agents fired rubber bullets and attacked protesterswho erected barricades and set fire to them, and also journalists.
Local media reported several arrests.
The Georgian President, Salomé Zurabichvili, in rupture with the Government, expressed supportin a message disseminated on social network X, to “Georgian ‘media’ who are disproportionately targeted and attacked at work”.
Georgia is going through a period of political crisis since the contested victory of the Georgian Dream in the October legislature.
“The Georgian Dream did not win the elections, it organized a coup d’état. There is no legitimate Parliament or Government in Georgia,” said Chota Sabachvili, a 20-year-old protester.
“We will not let this self-proclaimed prime minister destroy our European future,” he added.
On Thursday, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution in which rejected the results of the Georgian electionsdenouncing “significant irregularities”.
The text requires the organization of a new scrutiny within one year under international supervisionas well as the establishment of sanctions for Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
In response, Kobakhidze, in office since February and confirmed on Thursday by deputies, accused the EP and “certain European politicians” of blackmail.
“We have decided not to admit the issue of EU membership to the agenda before the end of 2028,” he announced.
However, he committed to continue necessary reformsensuring that “by 2028, Georgia will be better prepared than any other candidate country to open accession negotiations with Brussels and become a Member State in 2030”.
Former Soviet republic, Georgia officially obtained the candidate status for membership in December 2023but Brussels suspended the process and accused the Georgian Dream Government of serious democratic retreat.
The President, with limited powers, declared the new Parliament unconstitutionaland awaits a response to the request he made to annul the election results from the Constitutional Court.
