Protests in Georgia are unstoppable, says Soviet-era dissident

The pro-Russian Georgian government’s decision to suspend the country’s bid to join the European Union has struck at something sacred – the Georgian people’s long-standing desire to become part of Europe, said Levan Berdzenishvili, a Soviet-era dissident and writer, in an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Echo of the Caucasus project.

“For Georgians, there has always been an understanding that we must find our place in Europe. It doesn’t matter whether we are Europeans by origin or not. What matters is that Georgia has been striving towards Europe for the last 15 centuries,” Berdzenishvili said.

He believes the protests – already in their sixth day – that ignited in the wake of a Nov. 28 statement by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to postpone EU accession talks, will continue. 

“The so-called prime minister’s ‘insignificant remark’ about postponing negotiations for four years – especially after it was made clear to the government that there would be no talks due to their unacceptable behavior – has sparked a protest that cannot be stopped now,” Berdzenishvili said.

He believes the current government will be ousted from power.

“This is the final spark, and now it will be impossible to stop the youth,” he said.

The dissident sees the ongoing protests as the last fight for Georgia’s independence, saying the country fought for independence many times before, and “we last lost it to the Soviet Union.”

“Today, this is our final chance,” he says. “The question is no longer whether Georgia will move towards the West or the North. The question is whether this ancient nation will continue to exist or disappear forever.”

Read the full interview here.