Violent protests in Georgia: Government under pressure from the EU!

Violent protests in Georgia: Government under pressure from the EU!

In Georgia, the situation is escalating! On Sunday night there were violent riots between anti-government demonstrators and the police for the third time in a row. These violent confrontations have the potential to destabilize the South Caucasus republic as they fuel the power play between the national-conservative government and the pro-European opposition. According to reports from Krone.at Police in Tbilisi even arrested 107 people, reflecting the growing anger of citizens resisting what were perceived as rigged parliamentary elections.

The background to these protests is the controversial election at the end of October, in which the pro-Russian “Georgian Dream” party claimed the votes. The pro-EU opposition has not recognized these results and is refusing to accept their mandates. In addition, Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze accused the EU of interference and announced that he would put accession negotiations on hold until 2028, which further fueled the protests, reports The mirror. Former EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas did not rule out sanctions against the Georgian government and emphasized that violence against peaceful demonstrators was absolutely unacceptable. These measures could include Saaftage in issuing visas for Georgian citizens.

Severe warnings and saving ambassadors

The situation has also worsened at the diplomatic level: several ambassadors have resigned from their positions in protest. President Salome Zurabishvili, who does not deny her legitimacy, refuses to resign and makes it clear that an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president. The conflict has now reached public awareness when Kobakhidze warned against the “Ukrainization” of Georgia, recalling the upheavals in Ukraine in 2014.