Uprising in Georgia

EU considers sanctions against pro-Russian government

A burning road blockade in the capital Tbilisi

(Bild: APA/AFP or licensors)

Violent clashes between anti-government demonstrators and the police broke out in Georgia on Sunday night for the third time in a row. The clashes between the national-conservative government and the pro-European opposition threaten to tear the South Caucasus republic apart. The European Union is now thinking out loud about sanctions.

It is clear that violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and that the Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people and the Georgian constitution, said the former Estonian head of government and current EU foreign affairs representative on the sidelines of talks in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Possible consequences would be discussed together with the member states. Kallas cited sanctions and visa restrictions as concrete examples.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas

(Bild: APA/AFP/Nicolas TUCAT)

On Sunday, the police only succeeded in pushing the protesters away from the parliament building on Rustaveli Prospekt in the capital Tbilisi early in the morning. The crowd has now set up roadblocks near the State University. Last night, the police reportedly arrested 107 people for hooliganism in Tbilisi alone - demonstrations are also taking place in other cities.

Pro-European resistance is forming
The background to the protests are the parliamentary elections at the end of October, which were overshadowed by allegations of fraud and in which the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream was declared the winner. The EU-friendly opposition has not recognized the election results - and refuses to accept their mandates. The protests were fueled by head of government Irakli Kobakhidze, who announced that accession negotiations with the EU, which he accused of interference and blackmail, would be put on hold until 2028. According to surveys, the majority of the population wants to join the EU. Accession is also enshrined as a goal in the constitution.

Head of government warns against "Ukrainization" of the country
The conflict has also spread to the institutional level. Several ambassadors have now resigned in protest. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, for her part, is refusing to relinquish her office, as she emphasized on Saturday that an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president. The head of state's term of office actually ends in mid-December. Prime Minister Kobachidze insists that a successor elected for the first time by members of parliament and regional representatives will then take over. The head of government warned against a "Ukrainization" of the country and emphasized that there would be no "revolution like in Ukraine". He was referring to the upheaval in 2014, when protests on Kiev's Maidan led to the resignation and flight of President Viktor Yanukovych, who was loyal to the Kremlin.