12/1 – International News Story

For another consecutive night, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets outside Georgia’s parliament in their capital Tbilisi, protesting the government’s decision to suspend negotiations for European Union membership.

A third night of protests raged following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that Georgia would no longer seek to join the EU and will actively reject all funding from the block until 2028.

Friday’s rally escalated into clashes between protesters and police in a violent and tumultuous development to the country’s complex relationship with Europe. On Saturday night, an estimated 100,000 protestors formed barricades around Parliament.

The Georgian Interior Ministry reported that protesters hurled stones, pyrotechnics, glass bottles, and metal objects at law enforcement, resulting in injuries to ten police officers. In response, authorities arrested 107 individuals for alleged disorderly conduct and defiance of police orders. [Politico]

The unrest followed a violent Thursday night during which police employed water cannons, pepper spray, and tear gas to disperse crowds after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the suspension.

President Salome Zourabichvili openly criticized the government, accusing it of waging “war” against its citizens. Writing on X, she condemned the government as “Russian proxies” undermining Georgia’s European aspirations and urged Europe to intervene. Her sentiments were echoed by several Georgian diplomats, including the ambassadors to the U.S. and Lithuania, who resigned in protest, citing a betrayal of the nation’s EU ambitions.

The move to suspend EU accession talks came shortly after the European Parliament condemned Georgia’s October 26 election as “neither free nor fair.” Opposition parties alleged widespread electoral fraud, rejected their parliamentary mandates, and called for a rerun under international oversight.

The European Union strongly criticized the use of force against protesters in Georgia, expressing regret over the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend its bid for EU membership. In a statement issued Sunday, EU officials highlighted ongoing concerns about Georgia’s democratic regression, citing irregularities in the recent parliamentary elections and the government’s alignment with authoritarian policies.

“The EU reiterates its serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the country, including the irregularities which took place in the run-up and during the recent parliamentary elections,” EU representatives Kaja Kallas and Urmas Reinsalu said in a joint statement.

Despite the outcry, the Georgian Dream party dismissed constitutional challenges to the results and forged ahead with forming a government. The election’s fallout, compounded by the European Commission’s critical report on Georgia’s EU progress, has stalled the nation’s integration with the bloc.

Georgia’s EU membership application, granted candidate status last year, was frozen over the summer after the government introduced controversial laws resembling those in Russia. The measures, which labeled Western-backed NGOs as “foreign agents” and imposed harsh restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights, sparked widespread protests. Authorities used tear gas, batons, and other forceful measures to disperse demonstrators, while opposition figures faced detention and reported abuse.

The suspension of EU negotiations, coupled with the government’s handling of dissent, has drawn criticism from both Georgian citizens and international allies. The EU’s condemnation adds to mounting pressure on Georgia’s leadership to address the country’s democratic and human rights challenges as its European aspirations remain in jeopardy.

The United States also chimed in with disapproval, announcing the suspension of its strategic partnership with Georgia. A State Department statement criticized Georgian Dream for “rejecting the opportunity for closer ties with Europe” and accused the government of making the country vulnerable to Russian influence.

Washington also condemned the police’s excessively forceful tactics, noting that a vast majority of Georgians support EU membership.

Georgia’s political trajectory has alarmed Western allies as the Moscow-aligned Georgian Dream party enacts increasingly authoritarian measures, including a controversial “foreign agents” law targeting Western-funded NGOs and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Both moves have been widely interpreted as attempts to distance Georgia from the EU and NATO, despite the nation being granted EU candidate status last year.

The situation remains volatile, with protesters vowing to continue their demonstrations and international pressure mounting for Georgia to realign its policies with its European commitments. For now, the country stands at a crossroads, its aspirations for EU integration jeopardized by internal strife and shifting geopolitical alliances.