EditEU rejects Georgian government’s claims of meddling amid protest crackdown
Georgia's PM accused the EU of meddling in his country's affairs, alleging Brussels supported an “attempt to overthrow the constitutional order"
The European Union’s High Representative Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos firmly rejected and condemned “disinformation” regarding the EU’s role in Georgia, following claims from the authorities in Tbilisi who accused EU Ambassador Paweł Herczynski of meddling in Georgian politics.
In a statement on Sunday (5 October), they emphasized that Georgia’s municipal elections occurred amid an “extensive crackdown on dissent” and urged authorities and civil society to avoid violence.
On Saturday, Georgian riot police used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse demonstrators outside the presidential palace during a large opposition-led protest coinciding with local elections, detaining five activists.
Georgia local elections trigger mass protests in Tbilisi, clashes with police
The State Security Service claimed it uncovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and a detonator in a forest near Tbilisi, alleging they were intended for “subversive acts” during the protest. The agency said a Georgian citizen, identified only by initials, acquired the arms at the behest of another Georgian involved in the Ukraine conflict, according to Interpress news agency.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, whose Georgian Dream party has aligned closely with Russian interests, claimed up to 7,000 protesters were trying to overthrow the government with supposed foreign backing, though he provided no evidence. The pro-Russian ruling party declared victory in every municipality in Saturday’s elections, which were boycotted by the two largest opposition blocs.
Kobakhidze accused the EU of meddling in Georgia’s affairs, alleging Brussels supported the protesters’ “attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.” Kobakhidze specifically targeted EU Ambassador Paweł Herczynski, demanding he condemn the protests.
“You know that specific people from abroad have even expressed direct support for all this, for the announced attempt to overthrow the constitutional order,” Interpress cited Kobakhidze as saying.
“In this context, the European Union ambassador to Georgia bears special responsibility. He should come out, distance himself and strictly condemn everything that is happening on the streets of Tbilisi.”
Kallas and Kos stated the bloc “firmly rejects and condemns the disinformation regarding the EU’s role in Georgia and denounces the personal attacks against the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia.”
The EU statement clearly states that the elections could not considered as free and fair.
“Months of raids on independent media, the passing of laws targeting civil society, the jailing of opponents and activists or amendments to the electoral code favouring the ruling party, drastically reduced the possibility of having competitive elections. A large part of the opposition boycotted these elections, and the turnout was relatively low” Kallas and Kos state.
The EU representatives also regret the refusal by the Georgian authorities to invite international monitors in due time, which in their words has “undermined the transparency of the electoral process and prevented credible international monitoring”.
Kallas and Kos also called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.
The governing Georgian Dream party claimed victory in every municipality across the South Caucasus country in Saturday’s municipal election, which was boycotted by the two largest opposition blocs.
Once a frontrunner among Eastern Partnership countries, Georgia’s democratic credentials have been called into question. In 2024, the Georgian Dream party unilaterally suspended EU membership negotiations until 2028. That announcement was accompanied by increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Brussels and a series of legislative moves that drew comparisons to Russian-style governance. Among the most controversial measures are the so-called “foreign agents” law and a broadcasting law, both adopted without public consultation.
The opposition has been protesting since October 2024, when Georgian Dream won a parliamentary election widely criticized as fraudulent, though the party denies vote-rigging allegations.
Caption: Georgian opposition parties supporters clash with riot police during a rally after local elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, 4 October 2025. Elections to local governments are held in Georgia on 4 October, where members of municipal meetings and 64 mayors of cities will be elected. EPA/DAVID MDZINARISHVILI
Updated: October 6, 2025 - 06:17
