A large rally in favor of Georgia’s membership in the European Union took place in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square on October 20, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

The “Georgia Chooses the European Union” march brought together what appears to be several tens of thousands of demonstrators in the streets of Tbilisi, according to videos posted on social media. Protesters waved EU and Georgian flags while singing the country’s national anthem.

President Salomé Zourabichvili, vocal The ruling party’s opponent, the Georgian Dream, took part in the rally, urging demonstrators to vote for pro-European parties in the elections. Zourabichvili said the protest “shows that Georgia has already won and will re-enter Europe.”

Zourabichvili also addressed President Volodymyr Zelensky in her speech, saying that Zelensky “is also fighting for Georgia. You will be victorious and we will enter the European Union together.”

Georgia was granted EU candidate status alongside Ukraine in December 2023. questions surrounding Georgia’s bid continue to swirl as the decision Georgian dream The party continues to revive relations with Russia.

Concerns regarding GeorgiaDemocracy reached its climax after the judgment Georgian dream The party passed the Foreign Agents Act, which requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as “foreign agents” and reflects repressive Russian legislation used to suppress critics of the Kremlin regime.

On September 14, the de facto leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, as part of a broader trend of his party’s rapprochement with Russia. declared that Georgia should “apologize” for Russia’s war against the country in 2008.

Western officials have in recent months sanctioned Georgian officials they consider to have played a role in commit human rights violations.

Moscow officially launched processes aimed at closer relations with Tbilisi on October 10, when Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a presidential decree expanding visa-free entry to Georgian citizens who work or study in Russia.

Read also: Russia extends visa-free entry to Georgian citizens

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