Tbilisi (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In a bid to push Tbilisi’s democratic aspirations and its longstanding EU membership, Georgian NGOs called for a mass pro-Europe rally on Sunday.
Voting will pit an unusual alliance of pro-Western opposition forces against the ruling Georgian Dream party, blamed by Brussels for shifting towards authoritarianism and diverting EU candidate Tbilisi from its EU path. Pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili at crossroads with the government expressed she will join the rally, which
“will display people’s will for freedom, independence, and a European future.”
Will Georgian NGOs lead the pro-Europe movement?
As reported by AFP, Georgian NGOs, including Georgia’s European Orbit and the “My Voice to the EU” coalition, urge Georgians to assemble at five different locations in the capital Tbilisi and stride towards the central Freedom Square at 19:00 (1500 GMT).
“Choosing unity, development, and the European Union, Georgians will rebound on October 20 (Sunday) and demonstrate their resolve to pursue the way of EU membership,”
organisers stated.
Why did the EU freeze Georgia’s EU path?
European Union halted Georgia’s EU accession procedure after Georgian Dream lawmakers this spring enacted a controversial “foreign influence law” targeting civil society. The adoption of the measure — condemned as a Kremlin-style law to muffle dissent — sparked weeks of mass street protests and also pressed Washington to impose sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that Georgian Dream’s actions “signal a shift towards authoritarianism”. He called the forthcoming polls
“a crucial test for democracy in Georgia and its European Union path.”
Will the Georgian dream retain power despite growing opposition?
Opinion polls indicate opposition parties are likely to garner sufficient votes in Saturday’s election to create a coalition government and replace the ruling party, headed by powerful billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. Analysts have cautioned of the risk of turmoil if Georgian Dream endeavours to hold onto power regardless of the vote’s result.
In strength since 2012, the party initially followed a liberal pro-Western policy agenda, but over the last two years has switched course and been blamed for moving closer to Moscow amid its invasion of Ukraine. Bids for membership in the EU and NATO are exalted in Georgia’s constitution and backed by some 80 per cent of the population, according to multiple opinion polls commissioned by bodies including the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute.
