“The confidence of Kobakhidze and Ivanishvili that they could deprive Georgia of the prospect of living according to European standards has sparked these protests,” stated Tazo Datunashvili, a member of the Lelo-Strong Georgia party.

According to him, Georgian citizens are defending a better future for themselves, their children, mothers, and fathers.

“The primary cause of the protests is the overwhelming desire of the vast majority of Georgian citizens, whether they are in opposition, non-opposition, or neutral, to see Georgia become part of the Euro-Atlantic space. The government openly opposed this aspiration over a year ago. Neither the rigged elections nor the outcomes they produced can compare to the confidence Kobakhidze and Ivanishvili have that they can strip Georgia of its European aspirations. In my view, this conviction has motivated the Georgian people to defend—at different stages and with varying intensity—the values and principles that are fundamentally Georgian and an essential part of our national identity. Despite the upheavals of major geopolitical storms, Georgia’s history has consistently been European and Western, rooted in Christian tradition and enriched by ancient Hellenistic influences.

On the other hand, the citizens of Georgia are fighting for a better future for themselves, their children, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers. They are defending the prospect of a decent European pension, salary, education, healthcare system, and more. The part of the Georgian population participating in these protests has been fighting for this for over a year. That, in essence, is the core reason,” Datunashvili explained.