The Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidzé, declared this Thursday, November 28, that his Government postpones until 2028 its plans to begin negotiations for accession to the European Union, accusing Brussels of “blackmail” in a context of political crisis after the legislative elections. from the end of October.
This announcement comes a few hours after the adoption by the European Parliament of a resolution rejecting the results of the legislative elections in Georgia that gave victory to the ruling Georgian Dream party, denouncing “major irregularities.”
New elections within a year
This resolution demands that new elections be organized within a year under international supervision and that sanctions be adopted against senior Georgian officials, including Irakli Kobakhidze.
In response, the Prime Minister accused the European Parliament and “some European politicians” of “blackmail.”
“We have decided not to put the question of membership in 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 begin accession negotiations with Brussels and become a member state in 2030.”
Accusations of pro-Russian authoritarian drift
Former Soviet republic Georgia officially gained membership candidate status in December 2023, but Brussels has since frozen the process, accusing the Georgian Dream government of taking a serious democratic backslide.
The new Georgian Parliament, for its part, confirmed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in office on Thursday, in office since February, in a vote boycotted by the pro-Western opposition.
Opposition deputies, who accuse the Georgian Dream of a pro-Russian authoritarian drift, have refused since Monday to participate in the new Parliament elected during the legislative elections on October 26.
The president breaks with the government
President Salomé Zourabichvili, breaking with the Government, declared the new Parliament “unconstitutional”, pending a response to her request to the Constitutional Court to annul the results of the legislative elections, which will hardly be successful.
Following Iraqli Kobakhidze’s statements, the president, who has limited powers in Georgia, organized an “emergency meeting” with foreign diplomats.
“Today, the illegitimate government has declared war on its own people,” he said at a news conference alongside opposition leaders. “I am the only legitimate institution, the only legitimate representative of this country,” he assured.
Demonstrations
Thousands of protesters also gathered in front of Parliament and the Georgian Dream headquarters in Tbilisi, holding EU and Georgian flags and blocking traffic.
“The Georgian Dream did not win the elections, it staged a coup. There is no parliament or legitimate government in Georgia,” said Chota Sabachvili, a 20-year-old protester.
“We will not allow this self-proclaimed Prime Minister to destroy our European future,” he added.
Georgia riot police fired tear gas at protesters shortly after midnight.
“existential crisis”
Dozens of Georgian diplomats issued a joint statement to protest Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement. For them, the decision “does not correspond to the strategic interests of the country”, contradicts the Georgian Constitution and “would lead Georgia towards international isolation.”
“Without the support of Western partners, Georgia will face greater threats, particularly in the context of the current evolving international security environment,” they write.
The president’s refusal to validate the new Parliament and the opposition’s boycott are fueling a crisis of legitimacy for the institution. One of the authors of the Georgian Constitution, Vakhtang Khmaladzé, stated that “with the disappearance of democratic institutions, the Georgian state faces an existential crisis.”
The prime minister, who has already criticized the EU and the United States for wanting to drag Georgia into the war between Russia and Ukraine, asked this Thursday, before deputies, that Brussels “respect our national interests and our traditional values.”
Irakli Kobakhidze is considered a loyal supporter of the powerful billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream and accused by his detractors of pulling the strings of national politics.
After the legislative elections in October, tens of thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets to protest, failing to shake the government.
Source: BFM TV
