Georgia
🇳🇱 The Netherlands will request the EU to suspend visa-free travel arrangements with Georgia following over 300 arrests in pro-EU protests in the South Caucasus nation.
🇬🇪 Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze praises police for their crackdown on protesters amid presidential defiance and US condemnation.
🇬🇪 Georgia detains 107 people in Tbilisi during a protest against the government’s decision to stop EU accession talks, according to the interior ministry.
🇬🇪 EU envoy calls Tbilisi’s freeze on EU accession bid until 2028 “heartbreaking” and contrary to the wishes of most Georgians, local media report.
🇬🇪 Georgia’s ruling party has announced a suspension of EU accession talks until 2028 and is refusing budgetary grants from Brussels, effectively halting its application to join the bloc.
🇬🇪 Georgia’s ruling party reopens parliament after last month’s disputed election, amid protests and a boycott by opposition parties who claim the vote was illegitimate.
🇺🇸 U.S. cybersecurity chief Jen Easterly reports that while disinformation is at an all-time high, there’s no evidence it has impacted the election’s integrity. Foreign actors, particularly Russia, are accused of spreading falsehoods, such as fake voter videos in Georgia.
🇬🇪 Georgian opposition demands protests after HarrisX pollster declares ruling party’s 54% victory “statistically impossible” with 172,523 unexplained votes - crucial election could determine country’s pivot between Russia and EU alignment.
🇬🇪 Biden condemns Georgia’s election fraud amid ruling party’s 54% victory claim, citing voter intimidation and resource misuse. West fears Tbilisi’s tilt toward Moscow as protests erupt and EU, NATO demand investigation into polling irregularities.
🇬🇪 Thousands storm Georgia’s streets as pro-Russian Georgian Dream claims 54% election win. President calls it “Russian special operation,” opposition alleges fraud, and West demands probe into vote-buying and intimidation as EU hopes fade.
🇬🇪 Hungary’s Orban makes surprise visit to Georgia after disputed election, backing pro-Russian Georgian Dream party’s contested 54% win. President Zourabichvili calls result a “Russian special operation” and urges protests as West demands probe.
🇪🇺 EU’s Michel demands ‘serious’ probe into Georgia election fraud claims, puts crisis on November summit agenda - raising stakes for Tbilisi’s European aspirations amid growing Russian influence concerns.
🇬🇪 Georgia erupts in crisis as ruling party claims 54% election victory amid ballot-stuffing claims, with President Zourabichvili slamming “total fraud” and calling for mass protests against Russian influence.
🇬🇪 In a disturbing pre-election rally, Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili vows to crush opposition parties if his party wins, accusing them of “war crimes.” With the election seen as a battle between pro-Western values and Russian influence, authoritarianism looms large.
🇬🇪 From his shark-tank mansion atop Tbilisi, enigmatic billionaire Ivanishvili – Georgia’s most powerful figure – warns voters that siding with the West could spark Russian conflict, while critics accuse him of turning the nation into his private fiefdom.
🇬🇪 Georgian President Zourabichvili rallies thousands in Tbilisi, urging voters to reject ruling Georgian Dream party in crucial election. Pro-EU opposition unites against perceived Russian influence. Upcoming vote is pivotal for Georgia’s European aspirations amid fears of democratic backsliding.