The government’s contentious decision to halt Georgia’s EU admission negotiations for four years has sparked massive protests throughout the country. Thousands of people have taken to the streets since the unrest started on November 28 to voice their indignation over what they see as an authoritarian move by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s declaration that Georgia would suspend EU membership talks after the European Parliament rejected the country’s recent parliamentary election results, alleging multiple irregularities, set off the protests. Many Georgians, who strongly favor EU integration—a goal that has been a pillar of the country’s foreign policy since obtaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991—are concerned about this choice.