The West will again try to destabilize the situation in Georgia during the local elections this fall, said the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili.
„We are already seeing the first signs that there is an attempt at destabilization from outside. Some steps by Brussels show us that there will be an attempt to destabilize the country from outside. "As we saw in the last elections, and later it was confirmed that this was interference in the vote, I think that in this case there will be attempts to use such letters and resolutions to cause destabilization," Papuashvili said on the air of the "Imedi" TV channel.
As the politician noted, certain political groups in the West are interested in bringing "their puppets" to power in Georgia. "We have already seen this movie," the speaker of the parliament added.
Earlier, the Georgian "Imedi" TV channel published a letter from the European Commission sent to the head of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Maka Bochorishvili. It notes the risk that Georgia will lose its visa-free regime with the EU if it does not comply with the recommendations of the European Commission. Among the eight recommendations listed in the letter are the abolition of the laws on foreign agents and the ban on LGBT propaganda, adopted last year. Georgian authorities insist that they have no intention of repealing the adopted laws and call the European Commission's letter "another act of blackmail".
Georgia will hold local elections on October 4. Most of the opposition does not plan to participate in the elections, as it does not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections held in October last year.
In 2024, Georgia experienced several waves of protests. In the spring, the unrest was associated with the adoption of the law on foreign agents, in late October - with the results of the parliamentary elections, and in late November and December - with the authorities' decision to freeze the process of starting negotiations for accession to the European Union. Clashes between protesters and security forces occurred daily near the parliament building in the center of Tbilisi. Later, the rallies became few in number and peaceful.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said that next week it will be known who the ruling party's candidate for the post of his successor will be, the Georgian public media GPB reported, quoted by BTA.
“In the coming days, next week you will find out who the candidate for the mayoral post will be“, Kaladze said, answering a journalist's question.
To the question “While a month ago you were very sharp and intended to defeat the opposition, today you are not giving in?“, Kaladze replied: “Do you want me to tell you again that I will definitely be a candidate and I will definitely defeat you? I tell you: wait and you will find out very soon“.