Kathrine Frich
Some say the ruling party would rather provoke unrest than risk losing power.
Some say the ruling party would rather provoke unrest than risk losing power.
Georgia braces for mass protests as election day nears
Georgia is on edge ahead of upcoming municipal elections.
Opposition groups have declared October 4 the beginning of a movement to end what they call a “pro-Russian regime,” while tensions build in the capital, Tbilisi.
Some parties are refusing to participate, seeing the vote as illegitimate.
Pro-Russian ruling party tightens its grip
The ruling Georgian Dream party, often called Kotsebi, is accused of undermining democracy.
It controls the voting process and has passed laws criticized by the EU and US as inconsistent with European integration.
Its foreign policy has grown increasingly aligned with Russia.
Authorities accused of planning violence
Local sources claim the Georgian government may be prepared to use force to maintain control.
Allegations include secret plans to bring in Russian-backed fighters under the cover of a sports event.
Some say the ruling party would rather provoke unrest than risk losing power.
Russian fighters allegedly enter under MMA cover
Reports suggest that Russian special police forces and athletes from Chechnya, Dagestan, and North Ossetia have been sent to Tbilisi, officially to attend an MMA championship.
But critics warn the real aim may be to crack down on protests under the pretense of sport.
Government propaganda turns hostile
Party figures have begun using openly repressive rhetoric.
A key government supporter said live on air that those who oppose the current regime should leave Georgia, drawing comparisons to the Spanish dictatorship under Franco, which he praised.
Opposition party faces ban
The United National Movement, Georgia’s largest opposition party, is being threatened with a ban.
Its honorary chairman is former president Mikheil Saakashvili, now imprisoned.
Observers see this as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent.
Relations with the West deteriorate
Diplomatic tensions are rising between Georgia and Western countries.
The ambassadors of Germany and the UK were summoned for questioning.
Germany’s envoy called it a “diplomatic sanction” and condemned Georgia’s shift away from European norms.
EU considers ending visa-free travel
The EU is now seriously considering ending Georgia’s visa-free regime, a benefit granted in 2017.
If revoked, it would isolate the country further from Europe and signal a major rift in its post-Soviet trajectory.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
