Protests in Tbilisa: Georgia defends itself against pro-Russian politics!

Protests in Tbilisa: Georgia defends itself against pro-Russian politics!

Tiflis, Georgien - in Tbilisa, Georgia, tens of thousands of people protested against the introduction of the new President Micheil Kewelaschwili. Kewelaschwili, a former football professional, was introduced to office on December 29, 2024. He is said to be close to the Russian regime under Vladimir Putin. Despite the massive protests that have been going on for weeks, the government remains under the power under Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidse. Demonstrators formed human chains across the Kura River and swiveled flags of the European Union (EU) to express their resistance to the influence of Russia, as the Schwäbische Post reported.

The protests are also a reaction to the Ukraine war and a general distrust of Russia that is deeply rooted in Georgian history. Georgia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, and about 20% of the state area have been occupied since the 2008 Caucasus War. Even before the current events, there was concern about the pro-Russian tendencies of the government party "Georgian Dream", which is shown in their dealings with political pressure.

draft law causes unrest

Another trigger for the protests was a planned draft law that prescribes organizations that prescribe more than 20% of their financing from abroad to register as "foreign agents". Critics who call this draft as "Russian Law" argue that it would restrict the freedom of the press and hinder the efforts of EU membership. The proposal was supported by the government party "Georgischer Dream", such as The Guardian reported.

After two days of the protests, the "Georgian Dream" party announced that the law was recovering unconditionally. Demonstrators blocked main roads and called "No to the Russian Law". Although there is no evidence of direct Russian interventions in Georgia's politics, many see the template as a sign of a political change towards Moscow. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the government party, is accused of having close connections to the Kremlin, which breaks the pro-Russian attitude of the party.

The latest developments show a clear front between the pro -European opposition and the ruling party, while the political situation in Georgia is still tense. Georgia made an application for EU membership on March 3, 2022, which was, however, rejected, which is attributed to perceived democratic returns under the rule of the "Georgian Dream" party. In the meantime, more than 80% of Georgians are supporting European integration, and many protesters are calling for the full return of the draft law and the release of all arrested demonstrators.