Georgian riot police fired tear gas on Friday, November 29, against demonstrators protesting against the government's decision to delay negotiations to join the European Union (EU) until 2028, AFP journalists noted.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzé assured Thursday November 28 that his government was postponing its ambition to join the EU until 2028, accusing Brussels of ” blackmail “ against a backdrop of political crisis after the legislative elections at the end of October.
This announcement comes a few hours after the adoption by the European Parliament of a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of the legislative elections of October 26 which gave victory to the Georgian Dream party – in power since 2012 -, denouncing “significant irregularities”.
The European Parliament calls for “new elections are held within a year under international supervision and sanctions are imposed on senior Georgian officials, including Irakli Kobakhidze”.
In response, Irakli Kobakhidze accused the European Parliament and “certain European politicians” of ” blackmail “. “We have decided not to put the question of membership of the European Union on the agenda before the end of 2028”he announced.
However, he pledged to continue implementing the necessary reforms, ensuring that “By 2028, Georgia will be better prepared than any other candidate country to open accession negotiations with Brussels and become a member state in 2030”.
Following this announcement, thousands of people gathered in the capital Tbilisi and in cities across Georgia.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, “43 people were arrested by law enforcement for disobeying lawful police orders and for vandalism”. 32 police officers were also injured “following the illegal and violent actions of the demonstrators”.
Legitimacy of parliament called into question
Since Monday, November 25, pro-Western opposition deputies have refused to participate in the new parliament elected at the end of the October legislative elections.
The country's president, Salomé Zourabichvili, breaking with the Georgian Dream government – accused by the opposition of distracting the country from its ambition to join the EU and a pro-Russian authoritarian drift – declared « inconstitutionnel » the new parliament, while awaiting a response to its request to the Constitutional Court to annul the results of the October 26 elections.
But the ruling party seems to want to override the refusal of the president, even though she is the only one authorized, according to the Constitution, to convene the first session of parliament as president.
Georgian Dream elected officials voted unanimously on Thursday for Irakli Kobakhidze to retain his post as Prime Minister, which he has held since February, despite the opposition's boycott of the vote.
However, according to experts in constitutional law, any vote taken by the new parliament cannot be formalized until Salomé Zourabichvili's request to the Constitutional Court has not been studied.
Faced with deputies on Thursday, the Prime Minister presented his program which mentions a desire to join the European Union by 2030, but on condition of obtaining from the EU that“it respects our national interests and our traditional values”.
A former Soviet republic, Georgia officially obtained candidate status for membership in December 2023, but Brussels has since frozen the process, accusing the Georgian Dream government of carrying out a serious democratic step backwards.
[Édité par Anne-Sophie Gayet]
