The Government of Georgia stops EU accession and the opposition takes to the streets to protest

“Do you serve Georgia or Russia?” The image of the petite president of Georgia, Salomé Zurabishvili, uttering that phrase to a group of riot police protected by helmets and shields reflects the clash of legitimacy and political leadership that the Caucasian country has been experiencing since the elections last October 26 that revalidated the populist and increasingly pro-Russian Georgian Dream party in power, but which have not been recognized by the opposition or by the head of state who accuse the authorities of massive fraud. The critical situation in the country has been shaken again by the Government’s announcement that it will suspend the accession process to the European Union until 2028, which has thrown the most pro-European sectors of the Georgian population onto the streets in a protest that It culminated in riots and was harshly repressed by the police, with dozens of people injured and at least 43 arrested.

This Thursday, the Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, was confirmed by Parliament and his first announcement was that his Government is suspending “until 2028” the opening of EU accession negotiations, as well as “any budget support grants from the EU”. He does so by accusing Brussels of having turned the process into “blackmail” contrary to the “traditional values” of Georgia. The Georgian president assured that his country will continue with some technical reforms, and that it will be “economically” ready for inclusion in the community group by 2030, but it will not comply with the requirements of political or democratic reforms demanded by Brussels.

Georgian Dream (SG) came to power in 2012 with a center-left and pro-European program, but over the years it has taken an ultra-conservative turn similar to that of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, has carried out an increasingly authoritarian policy and has has been aligning with the Kremlin’s strategies. In December 2023, the EU granted Georgia the status of a candidate country for accession, due to the great support for European integration among the population (more than 80% of the population supports it, according to surveys). However, last summer, Brussels froze the process due to the approval of repressive laws such as that on foreign agents and LGBTI propaganda, both of Russian inspiration.

The decision to abort the accession process announced by Kobakhidze has been branded “unconstitutional” in an open letter already signed by more than a hundred diplomats and employees of the Georgian Foreign Ministry. The SG Executive itself and the opposition reformed the Magna Carta during the past decade and included an article that requires institutions to “take all measures […] to guarantee the complete integration of Georgia into the European Union.” The EU ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, regretted the Government’s decision, which he described as “deplorable”. “Today we have woken up to a completely new reality,” he said at a press conference this Friday.

As soon as Kobakhidze’s announcement was announced, on Thursday evening tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the country’s main cities, but were met with a harsh police response. The Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia denounced an attitude that “violates international standards and local regulations” since the agents used tear gas and trucks with water pipes mixed with chemicals to disperse the protesters without provocation.

The Ministry of the Interior, on the other hand, assures that only “special methods permitted by law” were used and that the protesters threw glass bottles, stones and fireworks at the agents, resulting in 32 injuries, including one. He remained hospitalized this Friday. President Zurabishvili joined thousands of protesters in Tbilisi, the capital; He criticized the agents to their faces, and accused the Government of “having declared war on its people.”

In fact, the opposition does not recognize the legitimacy of the Government, since, it maintains, Parliament does not currently have the power to elect the prime minister. In the elections held on October 26, SG obtained 54% of the votes, well above what was expected by the polls and even by the party itself. In the days and weeks that followed, the opposition, various associations and media outlets not aligned with the Government revealed data and practices that point to manipulation of the elections in certain provinces as a way to guarantee a sufficient majority for re-election. In fact, some local courts even requested investigations or partial annulments of results, but higher levels of the judiciary—where the influence of the ruling party is greater—have revoked these decisions.

So the four opposition coalitions that obtained parliamentary representation have refused to collect their minutes and have asked the Electoral Commission to annul their lists. In this way, in the chamber, of 150 seats, only the 89 SG deputies are present. Article 38 of the Constitution specifies that Parliament only acquires “full powers” ​​when it is “recognized” by two-thirds of its members, that is, at least 100; Although sources from the ruling party claim that the same article recognizes that the chamber can begin to function with a simple majority.

In turn, the SG Government also does not recognize the legitimacy of the president, whom it accuses of having deviated from her representative functions by fully aligning herself with the opposition. Zurabishvili was elected in 2018 by popular vote and with the support of SG, but has distanced herself from the party over its rapprochement with Russia. His term ends in December and, given that the country has completed its transition towards a parliamentary system, Zurabishvili’s successor will be elected on the 14th by a college of electors made up of the members of the chamber and local and regional representatives, among whom SG has a majority. This same week, the ruling party has announced that its candidate for president will be Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer and former SG deputy in Parliament, where he stood out with anti-Western speeches and for having promoted the foreign agents law.