Crisis over Bright Lights: Georgia between Protest and Political Tensions

In front of the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, the police encountered fierce resistance from thousands of demonstrators who have been expressing their discontent for two weeks. Inside the building, the ruling Georgian Dream party, increasingly showing a pro-Russian stance, had just elected a new president. The election process evoked memories of the country's communist past: the only candidate, result 224 to one. The pro-European opposition boycotted the election. The police were now tasked with clearing the way so the mayor could initiate the capital's Christmas tree lighting – a sign that the government has the situation under control. Demonstrators mocked the new president, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer and hardline populist, with football activities on the square. Kavelashvili, once a player for Manchester City, lacks a university degree, which excluded him from running for chairman of the Georgian Football Federation in 2015. Many carried signs with “President” crossed out, replaced with “Puppet.” But as the moment of the tree lighting approached, the police withdrew, and the ceremony was postponed. Evidently, the government did not want to provide an excuse to escalate the protests. The protests ignited on November 28, after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze postponed EU accession negotiations until 2028. This fueled discontent over the parliamentary elections in October, whose results were claimed by the Georgian Dream, but international observers spoke of manipulation. The party founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, with wealth from Russia, effectively steers the party and is moving Georgia towards the Kremlin despite anti-Russian sentiment. “State officials are toys of an oligarch,” said Mariam Kaulashvili-Southwell, founder of the online network Daitove. The riot police initially acted harshly, used tear gas, and randomly beat people. However, this brutality brought more people to the streets. In the second week of protests, tactics changed; the police remained out of sight, observing from vehicles and letting the demonstrations subside in the morning hours. Opposition politicians were attacked in front of their offices, well-known actors and journalists were arrested. A scientist from a pro-democratic think tank was arrested on the street, while his dog waited tied to a tree. “The hard repression is destroying the little remaining support,” says Hans Gutbrod of Ilia State University. The government must suppress the opposition without arousing hatred. The demonstrations are now spreading beyond the capital. In Khashuri, a small town in central Georgia, already two dozen people have shown their discontent. A new flashpoint could arise on December 29, when the incumbent pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who has joined the protests, is supposed to step down according to the law. Whether the government can weather the outrage through targeted intimidation or if the situation will escalate remains to be seen.