Macron to Georgia: Betraying European aspirations is unacceptable

The President of France addressed the people of Georgia on the eve of the first anniversary of Georgia being granted EU candidate status.

"I want to believe that there is a path that aligns with the country's European aspirations. This dialogue is the responsibility of every Georgian. It must enable Georgians to take their destiny back into their own hands," he stated.

Macron emphasized that "betraying the European aspirations" of the Georgian people, enshrined in Georgia's Constitution, is unacceptable.

"Georgia's European dream must not be crushed. This choice of the European path is your sovereign decision, and this decision to join the European family is being peacefully expressed today in Tbilisi and in several dozen cities across the country," he said.

The President added that Georgia will have no hope of advancing on the European path if peaceful demonstrations are suppressed with disproportionate force, if civil organizations, journalists, and members of opposition parties face persecution, and if the rights to freedom of expression and assembly are not upheld.

Protests in Georgia

On October 26, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, resulting in a victory for the Georgian Dream.

The opposition, however, refused to recognize the election results due to allegations of fraud and called for protests.

Later, the government announced its decision to delay negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union until the end of 2028. This prompted tens of thousands of people to gather in central Tbilisi, with protests ongoing. Moreover, yesterday, civil servants joined the demonstrations in Tbilisi.

RBC-Ukraine also reported that on the evening of December 7, incidents of attacks on protesters and journalists by unknown groups of young men in balaclavas were reportedю