Protests erupt in Georgia after government halts EU application until 2028

TBILISI, GEORGIA — 

Georgia's ruling enactment said connected Thursday that the state would suspend talks connected European Union accession until 2028, portion besides refusing budgetary grants from Brussels, efficaciously halting its exertion to articulation the bloc, a long-standing nationalist goal.

In response, thousands of pro-EU protesters blocked streets successful the capital, portion the country's figurehead president accused the authorities of declaring warfare connected its ain radical with the move.

The Georgian Dream governing bloc accused the EU of "a cascade of insults," saying successful a connection it was utilizing the imaginable of accession talks to blackmail the state and to "organize a gyration successful the country."

As a result, it said, "We person decided not to enactment the contented of opening negotiations with the European Union connected the docket until the extremity of 2028. Also, we garbage immoderate budgetary assistance from the European Union until the extremity of 2028."

The South Caucasus state of 3.7 cardinal has the purpose of EU accession written into its constitution and has traditionally been among the astir pro-Western of the Soviet Union's successor states.

Georgia's relations with Brussels person deteriorated sharply successful caller months amid EU allegations of authoritarianism and pro-Russian tendencies. The EU had already said that Georgia's exertion is frozen.

Georgian Dream says that it is not pro-Russian and that it is committed to ideology and integration with the West.

It says it wants to articulation the EU yet but has repeatedly engaged successful diplomatic feuds with Brussels successful caller years portion deepening ties with neighboring Russia.

There was nary contiguous ceremonial remark from the EU connected Georgian Dream's statement. But an EU authoritative said the interaction of Thursday's determination was huge, adding that the authorities was doing what the EU had feared and had hoped it would not.

Opinion polls amusement that astir 80% of Georgians enactment EU membership, and the bloc's emblem flies alongside the nationalist emblem extracurricular virtually each authorities buildings successful the country.

Georgia's pro-Western absorption reacted to Georgian Dream's announcement with fury, portion respective 1000 protesters massed extracurricular parliament and the ruling party's headquarters, blocking roads. Local media reported that protests erupted successful respective provincial cities.

Giorgi Vashadze, a salient absorption leader, wrote connected Facebook: "the self-proclaimed, illegitimate authorities has already legally signed the betrayal of Georgia and the Georgian people."

President Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-EU professional of Georgian Dream whose powers are mostly ceremonial, said the ruling enactment had "declared not peace, but warfare against its ain people, its past and future."

Zourabichvili's word ends successful December, and Georgian Dream has nominated a erstwhile lawmaker with hard-line anti-Western views to regenerate her.

The absorption says that an October election, successful which authoritative results gave the Georgian Dream bloc astir 54% of the vote, was fraudulent and person refused to instrumentality their seats. Western countries person called for a probe into alleged violations.

Georgian Dream and the country's predetermination committee accidental the predetermination was escaped and fair.

Earlier connected Thursday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists that EU rank mightiness harm Georgia's economy, arsenic it would necessitate Tbilisi to cancel visa-free agreements and commercialized deals with different countries.

The EU gave Georgia campaigner presumption successful December 2023 but has said that a raft of laws passed by Georgian Dream since, including curbs connected "foreign agents" and LGBTQ rights, are authoritarian, Russian-inspired and obstacles to EU membership.

Foreign and home critics of Georgian Dream accidental the party, which is seen arsenic dominated by its billionaire founder, ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is steering Georgia backmost toward Moscow, from which it gained independency successful 1991.

Russia and Georgia person had nary ceremonial diplomatic relations since a five-day warfare successful 2008 but person had a constricted rapprochement recently, with Moscow lifting a prohibition connected flights to Georgia and scrapping a stringent visa authorities for Georgians moving successful Russia.

Opinion polls amusement astir Georgians dislike Russia, which continues to backmost 2 breakaway Georgian regions and defeated Tbilisi successful the 2008 war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking connected Thursday connected a sojourn to Kazakhstan, praised the "courage and character" helium said Georgian authorities had shown successful passing the instrumentality connected overseas agents, which home critics person likened to Russian legislation.