“Georgia chooses the EU”. Tens of thousands of protesters march in support of joining the European Union

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Tbilisi on Sunday night, but the message was only one: “Georgia chooses the European Union.” With an eye on the legislative elections next Saturday, in which an unprecedented coalition will try to overthrow the country’s current rulers, President Salomé Zurabicvili was present at the event, which she described as a “demonstration of the will of the people of freedom, independence and European future”.

“Today the society, the people, the Georgians who go to Europe are present,” said Zourabichvili, in a speech in which he highlighted the call to vote against the current government – the Georgian Dream party – in favor of opposition parties with ” Western ideals. . Despite having been the party’s candidate, the head of state became one of the party’s biggest critics.

In addition, the president left a message of support for her Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that “he is fighting for Georgia” and that, after Ukraine’s victory in the conflict with Russia, “they will enter the EU together.”

Georgian President Salome Zurabichvili speaking to crowds gathered in the capital in support of accession to the European Union

During the demonstration, thousands of flags of the European Union and Georgia were seen in Freedom Square, in the country’s capital, in support of the European cause promoted by the four main opposition parties. “We are here because we are ready for change,” protesters said, quoted by Reuters, indicating that these upcoming elections are “fundamental” for the future of Georgia. “The fate of the country is at stake,” they argue, and reinforce: “These elections will decide whether we can finally free ourselves from the dictatorship of the Georgian dream.”

Tens of thousands of people on the streets of Tbilisi marching in support of Georgia’s accession to the European Union

“Georgia votes for the EU,” reads the posters of protesters in Tbilisi

The flags of the European Union and Georgia together at the front of the marches through the country’s capital

“Nowhere else in the European Union will you find so many people fighting daily to defend democratic values ​​as in Georgia,” citizens say in messages via social networksmentioning the high popular support for the demonstration.

You won’t see as many EU flags in any other EU country as in Georgia. Nowhere in the EU will you find so many people fighting and defending democratic values ​​every day as Georgians.

Here Georgians show exactly how they will vote in six days. pic.twitter.com/r5QRV6uwbA

—Eto Buziashvili (@EtoBuziashvili) October 20, 2024

As Moldova votes for its European future, Georgians are mobilizing in a historic march to show the world that in exactly six days they will tell their Kremlin-aligned government that Georgia is also voting for Europe.pic.twitter.com/YihHqfz4Cc

—Eto Buziashvili (@EtoBuziashvili) October 20, 2024

The Georgian Dream party, in power since 2016, after having won the last two elections by an absolute majority, was described by the European Union as “deviating towards an authoritarian regime”, after the approval of a bill that granted the status to “foreign agents.” ”to organizations that receive more than 20% of their financing from foreign entities. This measure, for Georgians who tend to more Western values, is comparable to the law of the same name in Russia, which suggests a rapprochement of the country’s rulers with the Moscow regime. The approval of this law was the reason why Georgia’s candidacy for membership in the European Union was frozen in May of this year.

A large part of the opposition parties signed the “Georgia Charter”, a pact in which they underline their commitment not to cooperate with the Georgian Dream in the formation of a government coalition. Although polls still indicate an absolute majority for the current rulers, support for the party has been declining in recent years.