Georgia: Anti-government and pro-EU membership protests continue

Thousands of people gathered again in the center of Tbilisi to force their government to fulfill the conditions set by the European authorities, to grant it the status of candidate country to the EU.

AFP - VANO SHLAMOV

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

This Friday evening, thousands of people gathered again in the center of Tbilisi, the country's capital.

A day after the European Council's decision not to grant the former Soviet republic the status of an EU candidate country, anger is high in the country against the government, accused of having deliberately derailed the candidacy Georgian.

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With our correspondent in Tbilisi

,

Régis Genté

The country's civil society movements want to regularly call on the 3.7 million Georgians to force their government to fulfill the conditions set by the European authorities, to grant it the status of candidate country to the EU, as well as that was made for Ukraine and Moldova.

" 

The oligarchy, in the person of Bidzina Ivanishvili, that is our main problem

 ": in front of perhaps 25,000 Georgians, the speakers at this Friday evening's demonstration continued to denounce the undermining of their government.

During the decade in power of Bidzina Ivanishvili's “Georgian Dream” party, the country has gone from being the EU's best partner among the former Soviet republics to a country that risks remaining on Europe's doorstep.

Fulfill all recommendations given by the EU

Shota Dighmelachvili, one of the leaders of the “Shame” movement, on Friday, is resolute: “ 

We want all the recommendations given to Georgia by the European Union to be fulfilled.

We are starting a nonviolent civil resistance movement, until these demands are met.

 »

The demonstrators were less numerous this Friday evening in comparison with

last Monday

.

The challenge for civil society organizations will now be to maintain the determination of Georgians to fight for their future.

Over 80% of them aspire to join the EU and NATO.

But the battle will be difficult, as the summer holidays approach and the government becomes more and more authoritarian.

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To read: Georgia is denied candidate status for the European Union

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