Four days of mass protests have completely changed the situation in Georgia. At the start, it seemed that the government was in full control of the situation, but its new controversial statement changed everything.
The protests gained momentum when Irakli Kobakhidze, the newly re-elected head of the Georgian government, announced that he would suspend accession talks with the EU until at least the end of 2028. A déjà vu from the developments in Ukraine in November 2013.
Protests intensified after government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks
This statement was likely a tactical move by the Georgian Dream party to encourage the West to compromise. However, it was a strategic mistake domestically.
Despite all attempts by the security forces to intimidate protesters, the scale of Georgian protests remains consistently high. The courage of ordinary citizens sends a powerful message both inside and outside the country and creates pressure on the authorities.
Every day, tens of thousands of Georgian citizens take to the streets. Protests are taking place not only in Tbilisi but also in Kutaisi, Batumi, Gori, Zugdidi, and Rustavi—in all major cities of the country.
In particular, in Tbilisi, the location of the protests is expanding—in addition to the government and parliament buildings, they are taking place near the city court, where the cases of the detainees are to be heard, and near the office of the public broadcaster.
The police blocked attempts to set up tents and build barricades during the first nights. The security forces in Tbilisi used water cannons and tear gas against the protesters.
However, when police use gas and water cannons to push protesters away from one government building, they move to another location. And the next day, they gather again in the previous location.
Foreign ministry employees backed the protests
The wave of student protests gained momentum in the country’s higher education institutions. In particular, the Batumi University of Arts went on strike: some students refused to attend lectures and joined the protests. The teachers backed them.
More than 200 employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have already signed the joint statement, which states that the announcement of Georgia’s withdrawal from the EU accession negotiations by 2028 does not align with the country’s strategic interests.
“For many years, Georgian diplomacy has been making every effort to join European and Euro-Atlantic structures, which is the will and historical choice of the Georgian people.”
There have already been a number of Georgian ambassadors who submitted their resignation in protest against the government’s actions. The ambassadors to Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and the United States; the acting ambassador to Italy; and the deputy foreign minister have already resigned in protest of the government’s decision.
Georgian government refuses to make concessions
However, the government is not ready to make any concessions. Moreover, the statements from some ruling party representatives only reinforce our belief that they deliberately chose to break with the EU.
At the same time, the government is putting pressure on those officials who have expressed disagreement with the decision to suspend European integration.
Salome Zurabishvili, the president of Georgia, has declared that she is now the only legitimate representative of the government in the nation, as both the parliament and the government it appointed are no longer legitimate.
On the night of December 3, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili commented on the continuation of the protests.
“All over Georgia, people are rising up against the Russian puppet regime. From the capital to the smallest towns, this is a movement that is unprecedented in our history. The message is clear: Give me back my voice! Give me back my European future!” she wrote.
This statement and this wave of escalation in Georgia put the EU and the U.S. in front of a very difficult choice. They have to make a difficult decision—who they consider to be the legitimate authorities in Georgia.
On October 26, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. According to the official decision of the Central Election Commission, the Russian-friendly ruling party Georgian Dream allegedly won. Members of the Dream party voted to hold the so-called presidential election on December 14.
In this case, the inauguration of the newly elected president will take place on December 29, meaning that Georgia may already enter the new year of 2025 with a new president. The election results in favor of the Dream party were not recognized by opposition parties, President Salome Zurabishvili, and Western countries.
Sanctions from the Baltic States
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have announced sanctions against those who “suppressed legitimate protests in Georgia.” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote on his X account.
“The three Baltic states have jointly agreed to impose national sanctions against those who suppressed lawful protests in Georgia. Opponents of democracy and human rights violators are not welcome in our countries,” he said.
Subsequently, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis published a list of 11 sanctioned representatives of the Georgian authorities. Among them are the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri. At the same time, Lithuania’s restrictions apply to the leadership of the Georgian Interior Ministry.
