Russia on one side, European Union on the other. In the midst of war in Ukraine, Georgia, a democratic country in the Caucasus neighboring Russia, is in torment. The Tbilisi government is accused of having proposed legislation inspired by Moscow on the subject of “foreign agents”, a status likely to fall on organizations critical of the government. The text has been removed, but the protests continue. The country’s president even praised the role that these mobilizations are currently playing in Georgia.
Georgia is a former Soviet republic. Russian is one of the official languages of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, territories which declared their independence in 2008 after a lightning war between Moscow and Tbilisi, under the Saakashvili presidency.
Georgia is a historically polarized country, and the situation can be difficult to decipher. The party currently in power is accused of wanting to harden its grip, of muzzling the opposition, and of maintaining an ambiguous relationship with Russia, despite being pro-EU.
” There are concerns that the Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, wants to turn the country into a one-party system “Summarizes, for example, Thomas de Waal, of the think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, quoted by AFP.
Georgia has officially wanted to join the European Union for a long time. But Brussels is asking Tbilisi in particular for reforms in the justice system and the electoral system, as well as genuine freedom of the press and the fight against the oligarchs.
The country was denied candidate status for integration in June, unlike Ukraine and Moldova. Authorities ” say they are pro-EU. But their actions demonstrate another scenario. “, according to Natia Seskuria, of the British institute Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
A symbol of this extreme polarization, since 2021, the pro-Western ex-president, currently an opposition figure, Mikheil Saakashvili, has been detained for “ abuse of power “, which he denounces for his share of political revenge.
► Listen again: Salomé Zurabishvili: “Russia has always counted on the division of Europeans”
” I want to congratulate the company on its first victory »
Georgian affairs are taking on another dimension these days. This Thursday, the ruling party announced the withdrawal of a bill targeting NGOs and the media and which had triggered, over the past two days, massive demonstrations that were harshly repressed in the country.
And the President of Georgia hailed the “ victoire of demonstrators opposed to this text deemed repressive. ” I want to congratulate the company for its first victory, I am proud of these people who made their voice heard “said in a televised address from New York Salomé Zurabishvili, who is for his part pro-Western and critical of the government of his country – his powers are limited.
Above all, opposition parties announced that they would continue to demonstrate against the government. And thousands of people gathered Thursday evening in the capital, to continue to put pressure on the authorities.
As a result, in the wake of Mrs Zourabichvili’s remarks, the Interior Ministry announced the release of demonstrators arrested since Tuesday. It was one of the opposition’s demands. On the other hand, ” investigations are underway to determine, identify and arrest those who attacked the police “said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release.
Faced with the latest unrest in Georgia, the Kremlin said to itself on Thursday ” concerned “. But Moscow denies any connection with the draft law on “ foreign agents “. ” Ie Kremlin has absolutely nothing to do with it said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
►Also read Georgia: parties call for demonstrations despite the withdrawal of the bill on “foreign agents”
(With AFP)