Thousands of protesters in Georgia took to the streets surrounding the Parliament in Tbilisi to denounce the ruling party’s decision to suspend talks on EU accession for four years. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, came shortly after the European Parliament condemned the October 26 election in Georgia as flawed and not free or fair. The European Parliament called for new elections under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials.
Kobakhidze insisted that Georgia remains committed to becoming a full-fledged member of the European Union, but that the country’s relationship with the EU is bilateral and cannot be dependent on funding. The EU had previously cut budgetary support to Georgia over concerns about anti-democratic decisions made by the ruling party. The opposition has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new parliament and boycotted its proceedings, leaving their seats empty.
Despite the suspension of EU accession talks, Kobakhidze assured that Georgia’s bid is only on pause and not scrapped. He pledged to continue implementing reforms in the coming years to prepare the country for renewed talks in 2028 and eventual EU membership by 2030. Protesters have vowed to continue demonstrating until their demands are met. Georgia formally applied for EU membership in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was granted Candidate Status in 2023.
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