EU warns Georgia over protest crackdown, sanctions possible

Georgia, a small country located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has been going through a period of unrest. The trouble started on Thursday when the country’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced that Georgia would stop its talks with the EU about joining the bloc until 2028. This was due to his claim that Brussels, the capital of the EU, was interfering too much in Georgia's internal politics.

The announcement led to protests in the capital city, Tbilisi. People took to the streets to show their anger, demanding that the government continue its discussions with the EU. On Saturday, the protests turned violent. Demonstrators threw fireworks and Molotov cocktails at the riot police. In response, police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the crowds. Many protesters were arrested.

Kaja Kallas, who took office as the EU’s new foreign policy chief, spoke out about the situation while in Ukraine. She sided with the protesters, saying that using violence against peaceful protesters was wrong. She stressed that the Georgian government should listen to its people’s wishes.

“The government should respect the will of the Georgian people,” Kallas said. She also pointed out that this situation could affect the relationship between Georgia and the European Union. "There will be consequences," she added.

Kallas told reporters that the EU had a number of “options” to deal with the issue. These options could include economic sanctions, which are penalties that can hurt a country’s economy and force it to change its behavior. But Kallas also mentioned that all EU members need to agree on the best approach to take.

The political situation in Georgia is complex. The Georgian Dream party, which is currently in power, won the most recent elections with nearly 54% of the vote. The party wants good relations with both the EU and Russia. However, opposition parties and Georgia's president, Salome Zourabichvili, are not happy with the election results. They believe that the elections were unfair, and they refuse to accept the outcome.

Zourabichvili's term as president is ending this month, but she has said she will not leave office until new elections are held.

Kobakhidze, the Georgian Prime Minister, has been blaming the unrest on “EU politicians and their agents.” He believes the West, including the European Union, is trying to interfere in Georgia’s politics in the same way that they were accused of doing in Ukraine back in 2014. He even claimed that the EU had threatened him with assassination because of a law he passed earlier this year. The law forces non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that get more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, who replaced Josep Borrell as the EU’s foreign policy chief, is known for her tough stance on Russia. As the former Prime Minister of Estonia, Kallas has been a strong supporter of Ukraine and has called for more sanctions against Russia. Under her leadership, Estonia became the first EU country to approve a plan to take Russian assets that had been frozen and use them to help Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Russia issued an arrest warrant for Kallas after she led efforts to remove Soviet-era memorials in Estonia. These actions have made her a strong critic of Russia.

The situation in Georgia continues to develop. As protests continue and tensions rise, the European Union is watching closely, ready to take action if necessary. Kallas’ statements show that the EU is not happy with the crackdown on peaceful protests and that it may take further steps to protect human rights and uphold democratic values.

The coming weeks will be important in determining how the EU will respond and what impact this will have on Georgia's future relationship with the European Union.