Georgia suspends talks on joining the European Union and accuses the bloc of blackmail

Georgia’s prime minister says the country will suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in view of what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” from some EU politicians

Georgia is suspending talks on its bid to join the European Union for four years, its prime minister said on Thursday (November 28, 2024), in view of what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” from some of the bloc's politicians. His announcement outraged the opposition and triggered a new wave of protests.

The move by Irakli Kobakhidze came hours after he was reappointed to the job by members of the governing Georgian Dream party after its disputed victory in last month’s parliamentary election that has sparked massive demonstrations and led to an opposition boycott of parliament.

Opposition alleges of rigged election

The Oct. 26 election was widely seen as a referendum on the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. The opposition said the vote was rigged under the influence of Russia seeking to keep Georgia in its orbit.

European election observers said the balloting took place in a divisive atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that it meets the bloc's recommendations but put its accession on hold and cut financial support earlier this year after the passage of a “foreign influence” law widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.

Kobakhidze said Thursday that while the country will pursue its bid to join the EU, “it will not put the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.”

“Additionally, we are rejecting any budgetary grants from the European Union until the end of 2028,” he added.

Thousands of protesters poured into the streets following Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi and staging demonstrations in other cities.

Georgian parliamentary vote

Earlier in the day, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that condemned last month’s Georgian parliamentary vote as neither free nor fair, representing yet another manifestation of the continued democratic backsliding “for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible.”

EU lawmakers urged a rerun of the parliamentary vote within a year under thorough international supervision and by an independent election administration. They also called on the EU to impose sanctions and limit formal contacts with the Georgian government.

The Georgian prime minister fired back, denouncing what he described as a “cascade of insults” from the EU politicians and declaring that “the ill-wishers of our country have turned the European Parliament into a blunt weapon of blackmail against Georgia, which is a great disgrace for the European Union.”

“We will continue on our path toward the European Union; however, we will not allow anyone to keep us in a constant state of blackmail and manipulation, which is utterly disrespectful to our country and society,” Kobakhidze said. “We must clearly show certain European politicians and bureaucrats, who are completely devoid of European values, that they must speak to Georgia with dignity, not through blackmail and insults.”

Critics have accused Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.

Speaking in parliament earlier on Thursday, Kobakhidze described last month’s parliamentary vote as “also a referendum between immoral propaganda and traditional values, and our society chose traditional values.”

The EU suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely in June, after parliament passed a law requiring organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.

President Salome Zourabichvili, whose six-year term expires next month, has rejected the official results and refused to recognize the parliament’s legitimacy. Zourabichvili, whose post is mostly ceremonial, met with EU ambassadors and opposition leaders after Kobakhidze's announcement.

In an address to the nation, Zourabichvili denounced what she described as a “coup” aimed at taking the country away from Europe and toward Russia. The president accused the governing party of waging a “war on our future, the future of our society, and the future of our country." "Because on this path, there is no Georgian statehood, no independence, and no future — except in Russia,” she said.

Zourabichvili was elected by popular vote, but Georgia has approved constitutional changes that abolished the direct election of the president and replaced it with a vote by a 300-seat electoral college consisting of members of parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures.

On Wednesday, the ruling party nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former national team and Premier League player, for the presidential post. He is all but certain to win the Dec. 14 vote by the electoral college controlled by the ruling party.

Published - November 29, 2024 10:02 am IST