Killing the Dream

Massive anti-government protests erupted in Georgia over the weekend after the ruling Georgian Dream party said it had suspended negotiations to join the European Union, a decision that critics said risks deepening political polarization, Euronews reported.

Demonstrators clashed with police in the capital Tbilisi for a third consecutive night, throwing stones, setting off fireworks, and burning an effigy of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Georgian Dream party’s founder. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, warning that further violence would prompt harsher measures.

Clashes have left 44 people injured, including 27 protesters and 16 police officers, officials said Sunday.

The unrest erupted after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced late last week that the government would pause EU membership talks for four years, citing opposition to what he called “blackmail” from foreign entities.

The decision came hours after the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Georgia’s Oct. 26 parliamentary elections that saw the Georgian Dream win 54 percent of the vote.

The resolution criticized the polls for being neither free nor fair, saying it represented another manifestation of Georgia’s continued democratic backsliding “for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible.”

The EU has called for a rerun of the elections within a year under international supervision.

The bloc granted Georgia candidate status last year, but progress has stalled following criticism of democratic backsliding under the Georgian Dream government, including passage of a “foreign influence” law that opponents said resembles Russian legislation targeting non-governmental organizations. The EU ambassador to Georgia said the accession process would remain “on hold” unless the government reverses its course.

Critics have accused the governing party of aligning Georgia with Russia, with opposition groups alleging Kremlin interference in the elections – a claim Moscow denies.

Pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili, who opposes the government, called the current parliament “illegitimate” and said the protests reflect growing dissent across the country.

The US State Department also condemned the government’s use of force against protesters and suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, citing concerns that Georgian Dream is making the country more vulnerable to Russia, Newsweek added.

Despite the turmoil, Kobakhidze dismissed international criticism as inconsequential, describing the EU’s actions as a “cascade of insults” and expressing confidence that relations with the US would stabilize under the new administration.