Georgian Prime Minister's Response to Anti-Government Protests: I Will Not Allow a Revolution

On Saturday, December 1, the Prime Minister of Georgia reacted to protests against the government's suspension of the country's EU accession process, stating that he would not allow a revolution to occur. The 'Georgian Dream' party, led by Irakli Kobakhidze, announced on Thursday, November 30, that it would suspend negotiations for EU membership for the next four years, citing what Georgia calls the 'extortion' of the EU. A few days after Russia's attack on Ukraine, Georgia, along with Ukraine and Moldova, sought EU membership, but the EU requested further reforms from Tbilisi. EU membership is popular and significant in Georgia, with polls indicating public support for this move. Therefore, the suspension of Georgia's EU accession negotiations has sparked widespread anger. As protests continued, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 107 individuals had been arrested during the protests, but demonstrators have planned new protests for Saturday night. Additionally, hundreds of employees from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Justice, and Education, along with the Central Bank of Georgia, signed open letters condemning the government's decision to halt negotiations. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a star of the Georgian national football team, also sided with the protesters, expressing heartbreak upon seeing videos on social media and calling for an end to the violence. The 'Georgian Dream' party faces accusations of authoritarianism and pro-Russian tendencies. This party is dominated by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former billionaire prime minister with anti-Western positions. In the October elections, which opposition parties claim were fraudulent, the ruling party secured about 54% of the votes. The ruling party and the Georgian Electoral Commission claim the elections were 'free and fair,' but Western countries have called for investigations into possible violations. The EU had previously stated that Georgia's application was halted due to stringent laws against 'foreign agents' and the rights of sexual and gender minorities. The so-called 'foreign agents' bill, which led to a political crisis in Georgia, requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their budget from abroad to register as 'foreign influence agents.' Critics in Georgia refer to this bill as the 'Russian law,' claiming it is inspired by laws used to suppress dissent in Vladimir Putin's Russia. The 'Georgian Dream' party has a tendency to improve relations with its neighbor, Russia. The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since a brief war over Russian-backed separatist regions in 2008, but in 2023, they established direct flights and Moscow lifted visa restrictions for Georgian citizens. Opposition parties in Georgia have called for street protests.