Violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police took place in Georgia on Sunday evening for the third time in a row. Clashes between the national-conservative government and the pro-European opposition threaten to tear the South Caucasus republic apart. The European Union is now thinking loudly about sanctions.
It is clear that violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and that the Georgian government must respect the will of the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution, the former Estonian head of government and now head of EU foreign policy said on the sidelines of the talks in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. . Any consequences will be discussed together with the Member States. Kallas mentioned sanctions as concrete examples, as well as restrictions on the issuance of visas.
On Sunday, police only managed to push demonstrators away from the parliament building on Rustaveli Prospect in the capital Tbilisi in the early morning. The crowd has now set up roadblocks near the state university. Last night, police in Tbilisi alone said they had arrested 107 people for hooliganism – there are also demonstrations in other cities.
Pro-European resistance arises
The background to the protests is the parliamentary elections at the end of October, which were overshadowed by allegations of fraud and in which the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream was declared the winner. The EU-friendly opposition has not recognized the election results – and refuses to accept their mandates. The protests were sparked by Iraqi Prime Minister Kobachidze, who announced that he would postpone accession negotiations with the EU, which he accused of meddling and blackmail, until 2028. According to surveys, the majority of the population wants to move to the EU. Accession is also a goal set out in the constitution.
The Prime Minister warns against the “Ukrainization” of the country
The conflict has also spread to the institutional level. Several ambassadors have now resigned in protest. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili in turn refuses to resign because an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president, as she emphasized on Saturday. The head of state’s term of office effectively ends in mid-December. Prime Minister Kobachidze insists that a successor, chosen for the first time by members of parliament and regional representatives, will take over. The head of government warned against the “Ukrainization” of the country and emphasized that there would be no “revolution like in Ukraine”. He was referring to the unrest in 2014, when protests on Kiev’s Maidan led to the resignation and flight of Kremlin-loyal President Viktor Yanukovych.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
