In Georgia, thousands of pro-European demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi

Thousands of Georgians gathered again, Friday evening, November 29, in the center of Tbilisi at the call of the pro-European opposition, following the arrest of around forty demonstrators opposed to the government , accused of pro-Russian authoritarian drift.

Despite a strong police presence, several thousand people gathered Friday evening in front of Parliament, blocking traffic on the capital's main avenue. For the second evening in a row, Georgian riot police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters; the latter are protesting against the government's decision to delay negotiations to integrate the European Union (EU) until 2028, noted Agence France-Presse (AFP).

This Caucasian country, accustomed to political crises, has been in turmoil since the legislative elections of October 26, won by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, but marred by irregularities according to the pro-Western opposition and the president, Salomé Zourabichvili.

“The self-proclaimed Georgian Dream government is doing everything it can to destroy Georgia's chances of joining the European Union”a demonstrator, Laura Kekelidze, a 39-year-old teacher, told AFP. “They know that their authoritarian regime is incompatible with EU membership, she declared. But Georgians are part of Europe, and that is why we are on the streets today. »

Bringing Tbilisi closer to Moscow

Georgian Dream and the government that emerged from it are accused by their detractors of diverting this former Soviet republic from its ambition to join the EU and, on the contrary, of wanting to bring Tbilisi closer to Moscow, while part of the population considers Russia, which invaded Georgia in 2008, as a threat and the West as a bulwark.

Georgia officially obtained candidate status for membership in December 2023, but Brussels has since frozen the process, accusing the government of causing serious democratic backsliding. If the authorities still assure that they intend to join the EU in 2030, they announced Thursday evening to postpone the question until the end of 2028. On Friday, the Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, however affirmed that the integration of his country into the EU “by 2030” remained “priority number one”.

The move led thousands of pro-EU opposition supporters to take to the streets in protest, gathering in the capital and other cities overnight. On Thursday evening and Friday morning, riot police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas and water cannons, hitting demonstrators and journalists in front of Parliament, an AFP journalist noted. The demonstrators had erected barricades which they set on fire.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, “forty-three people were arrested” during the night from Thursday to Friday. According to him, thirty-two police officers were injured “following the illegal and violent actions of the demonstrators”.

“Firm reaction from European capitals”

The opposition is boycotting the new Parliament and demonstrations follow one another, until now without forcing the government to bend. M^me Zourabichvili, at odds with the government, only has limited powers and her mandate ends this year, but she demands that the Constitutional Court annul the results of the legislative elections; a request which has little chance of succeeding.

She denounced the “repression” demonstrations and called for a “firm reaction from European capitals”. The Council of Europe has “strongly condemned” there “brutal repression of demonstrations” in Tbilisi, also expressing alarm at the decision of the Georgian government to postpone its European ambitions to 2028.

Ukraine said it was “disappointed” of this decision, even though this country experienced a pro-European revolution in 2014 after the pro-Russian authorities at the time attempted to suspend the EU integration process. “This decision, as well as the use of force against a peaceful demonstration, demonstrates the limitation of democratic processes in the country to please Moscow”denounced Ukrainian diplomacy.

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution rejecting the results of the legislative elections in Georgia, denouncing “significant irregularities”. The text demands that a new election be organized within a year under international supervision and that sanctions be taken against senior Georgian officials, including the prime minister. In response, the latter, in office since February and confirmed Thursday by MEPs, accused the European Parliament of ” blackmail “.