Georgia pro-EU protesters force meeting with PM
July 4, 2022
Protesters camped outside parliament on Monday awaiting a meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili after the country failed to formally secure candidacy for membership of the European Union.
Demonstrators are demanding that the government resign after EU leaders deferred Tbilisi's application for membership, citing a need for sweeping political reforms.
What's been happening so far?
A rally that started on Sunday is the third of its kind in recent weeks, with pro-European Georgians holding the government responsible for the EU decision.
Brussels has demanded that the Black Sea country make far-reaching reforms to tackle corruption and strengthen rule-of-law and the protection of minority groups.
The protesters have promised to remain peaceful, staging and showing pro-EU films and presentations to passers-by.
"We want to demonstrate to Europe that we are willing to remain constructive until the end and to show European culture in action, although we are very disappointed with the authorities," one of the organizers, Giga Makarashvili, told the DPA news agency.
On Sunday evening, more than 35,000 demonstrators gathered outside nation's parliament building, blocking traffic at the main road through the Georgian capital.
Figure in the political background
The rally's organizers have called on Bidznia Ivanishvili — founder of the country's ruling party — to "relinquish executive power and transfer it, in a constitutional manner, to a government of national accord."
Former Prime Minister Ivanishvili is Georgia's richest man and is widely believed to hold true executive power, despite having no official political role.
Organizers of the protests say a new cabinet of national accord should be appointed to "carry out the reforms required by the EU, which will automatically bring us the status of an EU membership candidate."
The European Parliament last month passed a non-binding resolution to impose personal sanctions on Ivanishvili — who insists he has withdrawn from political life — for his "destructive role" in Georgia's political and economic life.
Georgia applied for EU membership together with Ukraine and Moldova, just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.
While EU leaders granted formal candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau in June, they said Tbilisi would have to address outstanding issues before it could be considered.
rc/kb (dpa, AFP)