Georgian Dream secured 54% of the vote, but President claims the election was stolen. Opposition parties allege violations, while the EU and US call for an investigation. The Kremlin denies any interference in the voting process.
Thousands protested outside Georgia's parliament in Tbilisi on Monday after the governing Georgian Dream party won an election marred by voting irregularities.
Demonstrators, some holding anti-Russia banners, viewed the election as pivotal for the country's future, with Georgian Dream deepening ties with Russia while the opposition aims for quicker integration with Europe. Despite Georgia's application for EU membership, its candidate status was frozen due to legislation on foreign agents.
Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, received nearly 54% of the vote, according to the election commission. The four main opposition parties, rejecting the results, announced a boycott of parliament.
President Salome Zourabichvili urged citizens to protest, stating, "You did not lose the elections. Your vote was stolen, and they tried to steal your future as well." She called for peaceful defense of their constitutional right to have their votes respected.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe noted incidents of vote-buying, voter intimidation, and ballot-stuffing but did not declare the election rigged.
The election outcome poses a challenge to the EU's expansion plans in former Soviet states. NATO and the EU called for a full investigation. The US is in discussions with European partners regarding an appropriate investigative body and has warned of potential consequences if the Georgian government does not address its "anti-democratic actions."
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The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying it no longer functions as a guarantor of international order.
Foreign aid and its political implications are at the centre of public debate in Georgia with mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze echoing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's stance on USAID.
Georgia's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused Brussels of using visa policy as a political weapon rather than a technical instrument.
Current security challenges and ongoing geopolitical shifts were the focus of the annual Georgia Ambassadors' Conference taking place from 22 - 25 December in Tbilisi.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two nations, according to the Syrian embassy in Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum has sent an open letter to Russia’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mikhail Yevdokimov.
Russia has said bad weather was the cause of the AZAL plane crash in Kazakhstan in December 2024. A leaked document in the form of a letter, reportedly from Russia’s Investigative Committee was sent to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General, making the claim, prompting the criminal case to be closed.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company has lodged an appeal against international sanctions imposed on five of its vessels over allegations they transported Russian crude oil.
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