Tbilisi, December 01, 2024 – The Europe Today: : Protests continued across Georgia on Saturday night, marking the third consecutive night of demonstrations against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations for the country’s accession to the European Union. The unrest follows heightened tensions after the ruling Georgian Dream party’s victory in the October 26 parliamentary elections, which many view as a referendum on Georgia’s European aspirations.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 100 protesters were arrested on Friday night as clashes erupted between demonstrators and police. The Associated Press witnessed protesters in Tbilisi being chased and beaten by security forces, with rallies taking place in front of the Georgian parliament building. Police also deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd along the capital’s central Rustaveli Avenue.
The opposition has criticized the parliamentary election results, alleging that the vote was rigged with Russian influence, aiming to keep Tbilisi aligned with Moscow rather than pursuing closer ties with the European Union. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili condemned the situation, warning that the country was increasingly becoming a “quasi-Russian” state under the control of the ruling party.
“We are moving rapidly into a quasi-Russian model,” Zourabichvili said, citing the erosion of independent institutions in Georgia, including the courts, the Central Bank, and the parliament. She rejected Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s description of the protests as “violent demonstrations,” instead calling for new elections to ensure the will of the people was fairly represented.
In an exclusive interview, Zourabichvili affirmed that she would not step down until the contested parliamentary elections were re-run. She emphasized, “As long as there are no new elections, my mandate continues.” Despite the legitimacy crisis faced by the newly elected parliament, which plans to elect her successor on December 14, the president maintained her stance, calling herself “the only legitimate institution in the country.”
The protests and political crisis in Georgia highlight the growing divide between the ruling government and the opposition, with widespread calls for fresh elections amid concerns over the country’s future direction and its European integration goals.
