Protests erupted in Tbilisi after Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a halt to the country’s EU membership bid, stating that accession efforts wouldn’t resume until 2028.
He emphasized that Georgia should join the EU “with dignity, rather than by begging.” Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament.
President Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-EU advocate, condemned the decision, accusing the government of steering Georgia back toward Russia. Addressing the crowd and riot police, she declared, “A resistance has begun, and it will not end until new elections are called.”
🇬🇪 Georgian protestors decided to escalate, they started fires, fought the police and rioted.
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) November 29, 2024
The decision followed a European Parliament resolution criticizing Georgia’s recent elections as neither “free nor fair,” calling for a re-run under international supervision. Brussels had earlier paused Georgia’s EU accession path, citing the country’s regression under its Moscow-leaning government.
Public frustration runs high, with polls showing 79% of Georgians favor EU membership. However, opposition claims of election rigging, government approval of controversial Russian-style laws, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have fueled fears that the ruling Georgian Dream party is undermining Georgia’s EU aspirations. Despite calls for reform, the government has faced mounting backlash for its authoritarian turn, leaving the nation at a crossroads between Europe and Moscow.
