Pro-European Union protests in Georgia have persisted into the New Year, continuing their momentum from the past month in response to the government’s suspension of EU accession negotiations.
The demonstrations began on November 28 after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a four-year delay in Georgia’s EU integration talks, citing “blackmail and manipulation” by certain EU politicians. The protests, which started following parliamentary elections on October 26, have only intensified due to the government’s position on the EU.
On New Year’s Eve, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, setting up tables with homemade festive dishes and offering food to tourists.
The protestors, waving flags from Georgia, the EU, and other nations, marked the occasion with fireworks, while chanting slogans calling for new parliamentary elections. Despite the holiday, the protests showed no sign of waning, with the crowd celebrating the New Year while pushing for greater political change.
Kobakhidze’s government has accused opposition groups, including supporters of former pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili, and Western-backed forces of trying to overthrow the current administration through “street demonstrations.”
Meanwhile, the US and several European nations have imposed sanctions on Georgian government officials in response to the ongoing political crisis.
