Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili took part in protests organized in response to the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on the country’s entry into the European Union (EU) until 2028.
Protests began late in the evening of November 28 by the parliament building in Tbilisi, where thousands of people expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze on the suspension of negotiations with the EU. At about midnight, President Zurabishvili, who announced the support of the people and the need to hold new parliamentary elections, joined the demonstrators.
Later she went to the Square of Freedom, where she made an appeal to the police, urging not to use force against the protesters and reminding that law enforcement agencies should serve the people.
Meanwhile, the parliament had skirmishes between police and demonstrators.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze on November 28 stated that the country would not raise the issue of the beginning of negotiations on joining the EU until 2028.
According to him, Georgia seeks to join the EU by 2030, but this path will require additional effort and time.
He also accused some European politicians of interfering in the internal affairs of Georgia, emphasizing that the decisions of the European Parliament, adopted in the last three years, were rejected both by Georgian society and European institutions.
Kobahidze also stated that Georgia refuses to accept any financial grants from the EU until 2028, adding that the country will not “beg” the EU about entry, but will do it with dignity, with strong economy and stable democracy.
The European Parliament in its statement on November 28 expressed concern about the results of the parliamentary elections that took place in Georgia on October 26, and called for a revision of the elections under international control.
The EP deputies also called for the imposition of sanctions against Georgian officials responsible for the weakening of democratic standards, and the restriction of official contacts with the Government of Georgia.
Georgia applied to the EU in March 2022, and in December of the same year received the status of a candidate.
However, the process of entry was suspended in July 2023 after the adoption of the disputed law on the “transparency of foreign influences.”
In the elections on October 26, the ruling party “Georgian Dream” won, which gained 53.93 percent of the vote.
President Salome Zurabishvili and the opposition forces accused the government of falsifications and said that the election results would not be recognized. On November 19, the president appealed to the Constitutional Court with a request to cancel the election results.
Prime Minister Kobakhidze, in turn, claims that the elections were democratically, and the opposition seeks to create instability in the country.