Massive protests in Georgia: fight for EU accession escalates!

Massive protests in Georgia: fight for EU accession escalates!

Things are simmering in Georgia: for the tenth day in a row, thousands of citizens are protesting in the capital Tbilisi and other cities against the government's decision to postpone negotiations on EU accession until 2028. These protests are a direct response to the controversial parliamentary election that took place at the end of October, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was once again declared the winner. Opposition members accuse the government of election fraud and not recognizing the results Small newspaper reported. In the past few days there have been dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests, which has further heated up the tempers of the demonstrators.

Violent confrontations and calls for consideration

Georgian Human Rights Commissioner Levan Iosseliani highlighted the escalating violence and called on the police to ensure the safety of citizens. He called on the authorities to hold the perpetrators of violence accountable. In a dramatic comment, Iosseliani warned that the mood in the country had reached a critical point. At the same time, representatives of various religions are protesting in Tbilisi against police violence and showing their solidarity with the pro-European demonstrators. People are demanding not only a return to EU accession negotiations, but also the release of those arrested in the riots.

The disputes have had a major impact on Georgia's political landscape. This is also clear in the context of the geopolitical aspirations of the country, which has been a candidate for EU membership since 2023. The unsettled situation highlights the tensions between Western-oriented citizens and the solid government party, which seems to be slowing down the course of rapprochement with Europe, which makes this extremely critical, as the report by European Parliament shows.