EU Calls for 'Commitment' from Georgia
European Council President Charles Michel has announced that the EU will examine reported “irregularities” in the Georgian election. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Tbilisi needs to demonstrate its commitment to EU membership, European Council President Charles Michel has stated, following a contentious election.
Georgia faces pressure to show its desire to join the European Union after the ruling Georgian Dream party's election win on Saturday was contested by pro-Western factions. With over 99% of votes counted, the Georgian Dream party, which is populist and conservative, captured more than 54% of the vote, securing a significant majority in the 150-seat national parliament. Four other pro-EU parties also surpassed the 5% electoral threshold. While the ruling party expresses its support for EU membership, it has enacted policies that have drawn criticism from Brussels.
In response to the polarized election and the opposition's refusal to accept the results, Michel took to X on Sunday to urge the Georgian leadership to “demonstrate its firm commitment to the country’s EU path.” He mentioned that the European Council is set to examine “alleged irregularities” that were reported during the election by international observers.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted that voters had a broad array of candidates to choose from, allowing them to “generally campaign freely.” However, they emphasized that the election “unfolded amid entrenched polarization” within Georgian society.
The report indicated that the campaign messaging was heavily influenced by geopolitical concerns, with the ruling party positioning the election as a choice between itself and the opposition, framed as one of peace versus war. “The opposition parties [were] presenting the elections as a referendum on Georgia’s geopolitical orientation,” the report stated.
Claims of electoral rigging have been made by opposition groups, which have signaled their intention to organize mass street protests in Tbilisi. Outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili, who Georgian Dream attempted to impeach last year for exceeding her authority, argued that accepting the election results would be tantamount to “inviting Russia” into Georgia. She characterized the election as a manifestation of “hybrid warfare” orchestrated by Moscow.
In turn, officials from Georgian Dream have cautioned that their opponents aspire to instigate civil unrest reminiscent of the ‘color revolution’ in Ukraine in 2014. That upheaval followed a Western-supported armed coup in Kiev that deposed the democratically elected government, which had postponed a treaty for EU integration. The new authorities subsequently leaned closer to the EU, leading to a diminishment of economic connections with Russia. Moscow contends that current tensions with Kiev are, in part, a consequence of the insurrection that occurred a decade ago.
To join the EU, a candidate nation must align its foreign policy with that of Brussels, particularly regarding its stance on Russia.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
Georgia faces pressure to show its desire to join the European Union after the ruling Georgian Dream party's election win on Saturday was contested by pro-Western factions. With over 99% of votes counted, the Georgian Dream party, which is populist and conservative, captured more than 54% of the vote, securing a significant majority in the 150-seat national parliament. Four other pro-EU parties also surpassed the 5% electoral threshold. While the ruling party expresses its support for EU membership, it has enacted policies that have drawn criticism from Brussels.
In response to the polarized election and the opposition's refusal to accept the results, Michel took to X on Sunday to urge the Georgian leadership to “demonstrate its firm commitment to the country’s EU path.” He mentioned that the European Council is set to examine “alleged irregularities” that were reported during the election by international observers.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted that voters had a broad array of candidates to choose from, allowing them to “generally campaign freely.” However, they emphasized that the election “unfolded amid entrenched polarization” within Georgian society.
The report indicated that the campaign messaging was heavily influenced by geopolitical concerns, with the ruling party positioning the election as a choice between itself and the opposition, framed as one of peace versus war. “The opposition parties [were] presenting the elections as a referendum on Georgia’s geopolitical orientation,” the report stated.
Claims of electoral rigging have been made by opposition groups, which have signaled their intention to organize mass street protests in Tbilisi. Outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili, who Georgian Dream attempted to impeach last year for exceeding her authority, argued that accepting the election results would be tantamount to “inviting Russia” into Georgia. She characterized the election as a manifestation of “hybrid warfare” orchestrated by Moscow.
In turn, officials from Georgian Dream have cautioned that their opponents aspire to instigate civil unrest reminiscent of the ‘color revolution’ in Ukraine in 2014. That upheaval followed a Western-supported armed coup in Kiev that deposed the democratically elected government, which had postponed a treaty for EU integration. The new authorities subsequently leaned closer to the EU, leading to a diminishment of economic connections with Russia. Moscow contends that current tensions with Kiev are, in part, a consequence of the insurrection that occurred a decade ago.
To join the EU, a candidate nation must align its foreign policy with that of Brussels, particularly regarding its stance on Russia.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
