19 April Agreement

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The MPs behind the statement earlier this month announced they were launching a ‘public movement’ called People’s Power.

19 April Agreement

Ivanishvili supporters accuse the US of attempting coup in Georgia

by Shota Kincha

•6 min read

Four Georgian MPs and staunch supporters of Bidzina Ivanishvili have accused the US of attempting to orchestrate a coup in Georgia. On Thursday, the four MPs, who on paper left the ruling Georgian Dream party this summer to enable them to ‘speak more openly’, levelled a raft of accusations against the US, while once again leaping to the defence of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. In a joint statement, Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili, Dimitri Khundadze, and Guram Macharashvili s

19 April Agreement

Datablog | Who should solve Georgia’s political crises?

by Tsisana Khundadze

•3 min read

Georgian politics often appears to be in a near-constant crisis — marked by protests, boycotts, and acrimony. But who do Georgians think should solve their political problems? Since the 2020 parliamentary elections, Georgia has experienced political deadlock. The EU and US both supported attempts to mediate between the government and opposition, ultimately leading to the Charles Michel Agreement. This agreement, though, was eventually abandoned. Just this week, the opposition United Nationa

The parliament of Georgia. Photo: Shota Kincha/OC Media.

19 April Agreement

Saakashvili’s UNM end intermittent boycott of parliament

by Shota Kincha

•3 min read

Georgia’s United National Movement (UNM) have announced they are ending their on-again, off-again boycott of parliament, citing the release of party leader and former president Mikheil Saakashvili as their priority. Following weeks of internal debates and almost 14 months after 2020’s parliamentary elections, leading UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze announced the decision on Monday. Dekanoidze confirmed rumours that there was disagreement within the UNM, the largest opposition party in Georgia,

19 April Agreement

Analysis | Brokered by Charles Michel, broken by Georgian Dream

by Dato Parulava

•13 min read

The rise of illiberalism in Georgia is turning heads in Brussels and yet still, the country is pushing ambitious foreign policy goals with the EU. In light of discrepancies between domestic policies and foreign policy aspirations, MEPs and pundits tell OC Media that Georgia should prove its ambitions are not just on paper, or the country has much to lose. On 9 August, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani bravely presented his country’s ambitious foreign policy, according to which Georgi

Georgian PM Irakli Gharibashvili and EU Council President Charles Michel meeting in Ukraine on 23 August. Image via @eucopresident, Twitter.

19 April Agreement

Georgian government rejects EU aid

by Shota Kincha

•4 min read

The Georgian government has said they would not seek funds from the EU’s Macro Financial Assistance programme, citing recent economic growth and a will to address the country’s external debt. The decision follows pressure from the EU on Georgian officials to pursue agreed reforms. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili announced on Tuesday that there was a ‘high probability’ that Georgia would not need the next disbursement from the EU’s Macro-Financial Assistance Programme as the countr

Parliamentary elections 2020. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

19 April Agreement

Dispute over electoral reforms heats up as Georgian election looms

by Shota Kincha

•5 min read

A dispute over electoral reforms is heating up in Georgia ahead of crucial local elections, the result of which will determine if snap parliamentary elections follow in 2022. Staffing of the Election Administration, including the Central Election Commission’s controversial head, have been front and centre of the dispute, with other issues including penalties for parties not taking up their seats in parliament also causing a continued rift between the government and opposition. Electoral ref

EU Council President Charles Michel and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili at a press briefing in Tbilisi days after the agreement was signed. Official photo.

19 April Agreement

Amnesty controversy threatens to derail EU-brokered deal in Georgia

by Shota Kincha

•4 min read

Months before the local elections, disagreements over a proposed amnesty law are threatening to derail a deal brokered by the EU to bring an end to the political crisis in the country. At present, most opposition MPs remain against the amnesty for actions during the June 2019 anti-government protests. The amnesty is part of an EU-mediated agreement signed by the government and opposition parties on 19 April to end their 7-month boycott of parliament. While the deal was not signed by several